🔗 Share this article

At the time Chelsea were looking for a replacement for Mauricio Pochettino in May 2024, several managers were in contention. It was an comprehensive process that saw the club engaging with Thomas Frank before they ultimately selected Enzo Maresca.

The belief was that Maresca’s positional game and focus on possession rendered him the ideal candidate for Chelsea’s roster of talented individuals. Frank, who had excelled at Brentford, had to bide his time for his next opportunity. Overlooked by Manchester United after they parted ways with Erik ten Hag, his moment came when Tottenham appointed the Dane after replacing Ange Postecoglou last summer.

Now, Frank and Maresca face each other, both holding high-profile roles. Theirs is not yet a full-fledged rivalry, but they experienced some hard-fought encounters last season. Frank’s Brentford were unfortunate to suffer a 2-1 defeat at Stamford Bridge last December and had the more clear-cut chances when they drew 0-0 with Chelsea in April.

Those were two competitive games, made more fascinating by the tactical differences between the managers. Frank is more of a pragmatist, more likely to be straightforward, play on the counter-attack, and wait for chances to deploy an variety of deadly set-piece plays, whereas Maresca tends towards a strict philosophy. The Italian comes from the Pep Guardiola philosophy; he prizes control of the ball.

Chelsea’s average of 59.7% this season is exceeded only by Liverpool in the Premier League. Frank varies his approach more. Spurs are not instinctively a defensively-minded side – they are seventh in the possession table, ahead of Manchester United and Newcastle – but it is telling that their strongest displays have come in games where they have relinquished the control. They were outstanding with a back five in the Super Cup against Paris Saint-Germain, executed an impressive counterpress when they won 2-0 at Manchester City, and overwhelmed Everton with set pieces last Sunday.

Those performances point to Spurs might adopt a defensive approach when they face Chelsea. Tottenham, it must be noted, have one win from their past seven home league games. The figures are disappointing. Spurs’ return of 13 points from their past 18 home fixtures 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 first place and undefeated in the Champions League. Chelsea are world champions and advanced to the last eight of the Carabao Cup this week. Yet, fans of both sides remain doubtful 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 managing reasonably well. Chelsea could fall to 12th if they are defeated to Spurs, but there is context to their mixed results. Injuries to Cole Palmer and Levi Colwill have taken a toll. A interrupted pre-season, resulting from the club going all the way at the Club World Cup, cannot be overlooked.

Still, there is scope for improvement, especially when it comes to keeping 11 players on the pitch. Liam Delap’s ludicrous red card during Wednesday’s Carabao Cup win against Wolves was Chelsea’s sixth red card in nine games, including Maresca’s removal from the technical area during the win over Liverpool.

Maresca was furious with Delap, who is suspended for the trip to Spurs. But he is also considering how to make his team more effective against low blocks. The goals have decreased for João Pedro, and more reliability is required from Chelsea’s young wingers.

Irritation grew 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 switch to a five-man defense baffled Maresca. Régis Le Bris had prepared well. Statistics revealing that it is only one victory from the six league games when Chelsea’s possession has been at its maximum this season suggests that their key approach is being exploited and turned on them.

This is not a new issue. It was no wins from the four league games in which Chelsea had their most possession last season, underscoring a weakness when Maresca’s quest for control is taken to extremes. The threat is drifting into unproductive possession, to borrow Arsène Wenger’s term. José Mourinho’s comment about the team with the ball having the fear also is relevant.

Maresca differs in opinion, but it is worth recalling that Chelsea had 33.5% possession when they put in their best performance under the Italian and thrashed PSG in the Club World Cup final. Variety is a advantage. Chelsea have a number of fast attackers and are exciting when they have room to attack.

Will Frank give them space? Chelsea exploited Postecoglou’s attacking tactics on their past two trips to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Frank will undoubtedly be smarter. Is a switch to a five-man defense on the cards? Chelsea have allowed goals from three long throws this season. Spurs could have Kevin Danso chucking balls into the box. They will note that Chelsea have improved at attacking set pieces but are allowing too many chances.

Being so direct does not necessarily match Spurs’ traditions. But with James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski absent, there is a heavy creative responsibility on Mohammed Kudus. Xavi Simons, pursued by Chelsea last summer, has not made an impact since arriving from RB Leipzig. Spurs are lacking variety in general play. Their forwards remain erratic.

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