🔗 Share this article

At the time Chelsea were seeking for a replacement for Mauricio Pochettino in May 2024, multiple managers were considered. It 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 positional game and priority on possession made him the most suitable for Chelsea’s team of skilled players. Frank, who had excelled at Brentford, had to bide his time for his next chance. Passed over by Manchester United after they parted ways with Erik ten Hag, his opportunity arrived when Tottenham brought in the Dane after replacing Ange Postecoglou last summer.

At present, Frank and Maresca meet, both in high-profile roles. Theirs is not yet a full-blown rivalry, but they shared some hard-fought encounters last season. Frank’s Brentford were unlucky to suffer a 2-1 loss at Stamford Bridge last December and created the better chances when they tied 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 adaptable coach, more likely to be direct, play on the break, and wait for chances to deploy an array of effective set-piece routines, whereas Maresca veers towards a strict philosophy. The Italian hails from the Pep Guardiola coaching tree; he prizes dominance of the ball.

Chelsea’s possession average of 59.7% so far this campaign is topped only by Liverpool in the Premier League. Frank varies his approach more. Spurs are not instinctively a defensive side – they are ranked seventh in the possession standings, ahead of Manchester United and Newcastle – but it is notable that their strongest displays have come in games where they have ceded the control. They were superb with a back five in the Super Cup against Paris Saint-Germain, executed an outstanding counterpress when they won 2-0 at Manchester City, and destroyed Everton with set pieces last Sunday.

Those performances suggest Spurs might sit back when they face Chelsea. Tottenham, after all, have only one victory from their last seven home league games. The statistics are disappointing. Spurs’ return of 13 points from their last 18 home fixtures is the poorest of any team to have been in the top flight throughout that timeframe.

This is a difficult game to call. Spurs are five points off the summit and unbeaten 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 skeptical about Frank and Maresca. Spurs supporters have grumbled about a lack of creativity when the responsibility is on their team to attack; Chelsea’s moan about their young side’s immaturity, indiscipline, and struggles against defensive setups.

The truth is that both managers are performing adequately. Chelsea could drop to 12th if they lose to Spurs, but there is context to their inconsistent results. Injuries to Cole Palmer and Levi Colwill have been costly. A disrupted pre-season, caused by the club going all the way at the Club World Cup, cannot be overlooked.

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

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

Frustration mounted during last weekend’s 2-1 home defeat by Sunderland. Chelsea had 68.4% possession, their peak of the season, but their xG was 0.97. Sunderland’s adjustment to a back five confused Maresca. Régis Le Bris had studied his opponent. Statistics revealing that it is one win from the six league games when Chelsea’s possession has been at its highest this season indicates that their core identity 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 drive for control is taken to the limit. The danger is slipping into sterile domination, to borrow Arsène Wenger’s term. José Mourinho’s remark about the team with the ball having the fear also is relevant.

Maresca disagrees, but it is worth recalling that Chelsea had 33.5% possession when they produced their most impressive performance under the Italian and thrashed PSG in the Club World Cup final. Variety is a positive attribute. Chelsea have plenty of fast attackers and are dynamic when they have room to attack.

Will Frank give them freedom? Chelsea exploited Postecoglou’s attacking tactics on their last two visits to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Frank will surely be more strategic. Is a switch to a five-man defense possible? Chelsea have conceded 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 long-ball oriented does not necessarily align with Spurs’ history. But with James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski missing, there is a considerable creative burden on Mohammed Kudus. Xavi Simons, targeted by Chelsea last summer, has not done enough since joining RB Leipzig. Spurs are one-dimensional in open play. Their forwards remain unreliable.

But this is one game where the outcome may excuse the means. Spurs fans will not mind if a pragmatic approach breaks a four-game winless streak against Chelsea. Victory would ignite Frank’s reign. How he would cherish to win this battle with Maresca.