🔗 Share this article

When Chelsea were searching for a successor for Mauricio Pochettino in May 2024, a number of managers were in contention. This was an thorough process that saw the club engaging with Thomas Frank before they ultimately opted for Enzo Maresca.

The belief was that Maresca’s structured approach and emphasis on possession positioned him as the best fit for Chelsea’s team of talented individuals. Frank, who had performed brilliantly at Brentford, had to remain patient for his next opportunity. Passed over by Manchester United after they dismissed Erik ten Hag, his break came when Tottenham appointed the Dane after firing Ange Postecoglou last summer.

At present, Frank and Maresca confront one another, both in high-profile roles. Their relationship is not currently a established rivalry, but they shared some hard-fought duels last season. Frank’s Brentford were unlucky to endure a 2-1 defeat at Stamford Bridge last December and created the better chances when they drew 0-0 with Chelsea in April.

Those were two competitive games, made more interesting by the divergent approaches between the managers. Frank is considered a pragmatist, more willing to be direct, play on the break, and wait for chances to unveil an range of clinical set-piece routines, whereas Maresca tends towards a strict philosophy. The Italian hails from the Pep Guardiola philosophy; he prizes control of the ball.

Chelsea’s possession average of 59.7% this season is topped only by Liverpool in the Premier League. Frank adapts his tactics more. Spurs are not inherently a defensively-minded side – they are seventh in the possession standings, ahead of Manchester United and Newcastle – but it is significant that their most impressive performances have come in games where they have ceded the possession. They were excellent with a defensive setup in the Super Cup against Paris Saint-Germain, implemented an impressive counterpress when they won 2-0 at Manchester City, and dominated Everton with set pieces last Sunday.

Those performances point to Spurs ought to adopt a defensive approach when they welcome Chelsea. Tottenham, after all, have only one victory from their last seven home league games. The figures are disappointing. Spurs’ record of 13 points from their past 18 home matches is the poorest of any team to have been in the top flight throughout that timeframe.

This is a tricky game to call. Spurs are five points off the top and unbeaten in the Champions League. Chelsea are Club World Cup winners and reached the last eight of the Carabao Cup this week. Nevertheless, fans of both sides remain unconvinced about Frank and Maresca. Spurs supporters have expressed frustration about a shortage of creativity when the pressure is on their team to attack; Chelsea’s moan about their young side’s immaturity, lack of discipline, and struggles against defensive setups.

The situation is that both managers are performing adequately. Chelsea could drop to 12th if they lose to Spurs, but there is mitigating circumstances to their indifferent results. Injuries to Cole Palmer and Levi Colwill have had an impact. A interrupted pre-season, resulting from the club going all the way at the Club World Cup, cannot be ignored.

Yet, there is room for development, especially when it comes to maintaining 11 players on the pitch. Liam Delap’s rash red card during Wednesday’s Carabao Cup win against Wolves was Chelsea’s sixth such red card in nine games, including Maresca’s removal from the touchline during the win over Liverpool.

Maresca was furious with Delap, who is banned for the fixture to Spurs. But he is also considering how to make his team more incisive against defensive teams. The goals have decreased for João Pedro, and more consistency is needed from Chelsea’s young wingers.

Irritation mounted during last weekend’s 2-1 home defeat by Sunderland. Chelsea had 68.4% possession, their highest of the season, but their xG was 0.97. Sunderland’s change to a five-man defense confused Maresca. Régis Le Bris had done his homework. Data revealing that it is one win from the six league games when Chelsea’s possession has been at its highest this season suggests that their key approach is being weaponised and turned on them.

This is not a new issue. It was zero victories from the four league games in which Chelsea had their highest possession stats last season, underscoring a flaw when Maresca’s quest for control is taken to extremes. The danger is falling into ineffective control, to borrow Arsène Wenger’s term. José Mourinho’s line about the team with the ball having the anxiety also is relevant.

Maresca contests this view, but it is worth noting that Chelsea had 33.5% possession when they put in their best performance under the Italian and routed PSG in the Club World Cup final. Adaptability is a advantage. Chelsea have plenty of fast attackers and are pulsating when they have room to attack.

Will Frank grant them freedom? Chelsea exploited Postecoglou’s attacking tactics on their past two visits to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Frank will surely be smarter. Is a switch to a five-man defense possible? Chelsea have conceded from three long throws this season. Spurs could have Kevin Danso launching balls into the box. They will observe that Chelsea have improved at offensive set pieces but are allowing too many chances.

Being so long-ball oriented does not necessarily align with Spurs’ style. But with James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski unavailable, there is a significant creative burden on Mohammed Kudus. Xavi Simons, pursued by Chelsea last summer, has not performed to expectations since arriving from RB Leipzig. Spurs are one-dimensional in open play. Their forwards remain erratic.

But this is one game where the ends may justify the means. Spurs fans will not object if a pragmatic approach halts a four-game sequence of defeats against Chelsea. Success would ignite Frank’s time in charge. How he would love to win this contest with Maresca.