When Chelsea were searching for a replacement for Mauricio Pochettino in May 2024, several managers were in contention. It was an comprehensive process that saw the club holding talks with Thomas Frank before they finally chose Enzo Maresca.
The belief was that Maresca’s positional game and priority on possession rendered him the ideal candidate for Chelsea’s roster of technicians. Frank, who had achieved great success at Brentford, had to remain patient for his next opportunity. Overlooked by Manchester United after they let go of Erik ten Hag, his opportunity arrived when Tottenham appointed the Danish manager after sacking Ange Postecoglou last summer.
Now, Frank and Maresca face each other, both occupying prestigious roles. Theirs is not yet a established rivalry, but they had some hard-fought duels last season. Frank’s Brentford were unfortunate to endure a 2-1 defeat at Stamford Bridge last December and created the superior chances when they tied 0-0 with Chelsea in April.
Those were two competitive games, made more intriguing by the tactical differences between the coaches. Frank is more of a practical manager, more inclined to be straightforward, play on the counter-attack, and wait for opportunities to unveil an range of clinical set-piece strategies, whereas Maresca tends towards ideological rigidity. The Italian is a product of the Pep Guardiola philosophy; he emphasizes control of the ball.
Chelsea’s average of 59.7% this season is exceeded only by Liverpool in the Premier League. Frank mixes it up more. Spurs are not inherently a defensively-minded side – they are ranked seventh in the possession rankings, ahead of Manchester United and Newcastle – but it is significant that their best showings have come in games where they have relinquished the initiative. They were excellent with a back five in the Super Cup against Paris Saint-Germain, implemented an impressive pressing game when they won 2-0 at Manchester City, and dominated Everton with set pieces last Sunday.
Those experiences indicate Spurs ought to play on the counter when they face Chelsea. Tottenham, after all, have one win from their past seven home league games. The statistics are awful. Spurs’ record of 13 points from their last 18 home outings is the poorest of any team to have been in the top flight throughout that timeframe.
This is a tricky game to read. Spurs are five points off the top and unbeaten in the Champions League. Chelsea are Club World Cup winners and advanced to the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup this week. Yet, fans of both sides remain skeptical about Frank and Maresca. Spurs supporters have expressed frustration about a lack of creativity when the onus is on their team to attack; Chelsea’s lament about their young side’s inexperience, lack of discipline, and toils against defensive setups.
The situation is that both managers are managing reasonably well. 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 been costly. A disrupted pre-season, resulting from the club reaching the final at the Club World Cup, cannot be dismissed.
However, there is room for development, especially when it comes to keeping 11 players on the pitch. Liam Delap’s rash red card during Wednesday’s Carabao Cup victory 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 banned for the trip to Spurs. But he is also pondering how to make his team more incisive against defensive teams. The goals have decreased for João Pedro, and more reliability is needed from Chelsea’s young wingers.
Disappointment mounted during last weekend’s 2-1 home loss 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 flummoxed Maresca. Régis Le Bris had studied his opponent. Data 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 fundamental philosophy is being used against them and used to their disadvantage.
This is not a new issue. It was no wins from the four league games in which Chelsea had their highest possession stats last season, emphasizing a flaw when Maresca’s quest for control is taken to the limit. The danger is falling into ineffective control, to borrow Arsène Wenger’s phrase. José Mourinho’s remark about the team with the ball having the worry also is relevant.
Maresca disagrees, but it is worth recalling that Chelsea had 33.5% possession when they put in their most impressive performance under the Italian and decisively beat PSG in the Club World Cup final. Adaptability is a positive attribute. Chelsea have plenty of fast attackers and are exciting when they have space to attack.
Will Frank allow them space? Chelsea punished Postecoglou’s attacking tactics on their past two trips to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Frank will surely be more cautious. Is a switch to a back five likely? Chelsea have conceded from three long throws this season. Spurs could have Kevin Danso chucking balls into the box. They will take into account that Chelsea have gotten better at attacking set pieces but are allowing too many chances.
Being so direct does not necessarily fit with Spurs’ traditions. But with James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski missing, there is a significant creative load on Mohammed Kudus. Xavi Simons, pursued by Chelsea last summer, has not made an impact since arriving from RB Leipzig. Spurs are one-dimensional in open play. Their forwards remain unreliable.
But this is one game where the ends may justify the means. Spurs fans will not mind if a cautious approach halts a four-game winless streak against Chelsea. Success would ignite Frank’s tenure. How he would relish to win this contest with Maresca.
