Battle of Styles Beckons as Frank and Enzo Maresca Go Head-to-Head in Developing Rivalry

When Chelsea were searching for a successor for Mauricio Pochettino in May 2024, multiple managers were considered. This was an comprehensive process that saw the club holding talks with Thomas Frank before they finally opted for Enzo Maresca.

The opinion was that Maresca’s positional game and emphasis on possession positioned him as the ideal candidate for Chelsea’s roster of technicians. Frank, who had excelled at Brentford, had to remain patient for his next opportunity. Not chosen by Manchester United after they parted ways with Erik ten Hag, his moment came when Tottenham brought in the Dane after replacing Ange Postecoglou last summer.

Now, Frank and Maresca face each other, both holding prestigious roles. Their relationship is not yet a established rivalry, but they had some hard-fought encounters last season. Frank’s Brentford were unlucky to endure a 2-1 defeat at Stamford Bridge last December and had the better chances when they tied 0-0 with Chelsea in April.

Those were two competitive games, made more fascinating by the tactical differences between the managers. Frank is considered a pragmatist, more inclined to be direct, play on the break, and wait for opportunities to unveil an variety of effective set-piece routines, whereas Maresca tends towards a strict philosophy. The Italian hails from the Pep Guardiola philosophy; he values dominance 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 naturally a defensive side – they are seventh in the possession table, ahead of Manchester United and Newcastle – but it is significant that their strongest performances have come in games where they have surrendered the possession. They were outstanding with a five-man defense in the Super Cup against Paris Saint-Germain, implemented an impressive pressing game when they won 2-0 at Manchester City, and destroyed Everton with set pieces last Sunday.

Those performances suggest Spurs might adopt a defensive approach when they face Chelsea. Tottenham, it must be noted, have only one victory from their past seven home league games. The statistics are awful. Spurs’ return of 13 points from their last 18 home outings is the lowest of any team to have been in the top flight during that timeframe.

This is a difficult game to call. Spurs are five points off the top and unbeaten in the Champions League. Chelsea are Club World Cup winners 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 complained about a absence of creativity when the responsibility is on their team to attack; Chelsea’s complain about their young side’s inexperience, lack of discipline, and difficulties 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 background to their indifferent results. Injuries to Cole Palmer and Levi Colwill have been costly. A disrupted pre-season, due to the club competing deep at the Club World Cup, cannot be overlooked.

Still, there is potential for development, especially when it comes to keeping 11 players on the pitch. Liam Delap’s unnecessary dismissal 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 effective against low blocks. The goals have slowed down for João Pedro, and more steadiness is needed from Chelsea’s young wide players.

Frustration mounted during last weekend’s 2-1 home loss by Sunderland. Chelsea had 68.4% possession, their highest of the season, but their expected goals was 0.97. Sunderland’s change to a five-man defense flummoxed Maresca. Régis Le Bris had studied his opponent. Numbers showing that it is one win from the six league games when Chelsea’s possession has been at its highest this season implies that their core identity is being used against them and turned on them.

This is not a recent issue. It was zero victories from the four league games in which Chelsea had their highest possession stats last season, highlighting a flaw when Maresca’s drive for control is taken to the limit. The danger is drifting into unproductive possession, to borrow Arsène Wenger’s term. José Mourinho’s line about the team with the ball having the worry also comes to mind.

Maresca disagrees, but it is worth remembering 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. Flexibility is a positive attribute. Chelsea have a number of fast attackers and are pulsating when they have space to attack.

Will Frank give them space? Chelsea took advantage of Postecoglou’s attacking tactics on their past two trips to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Frank will certainly be more cautious. Is a change to a five-man defense possible? Chelsea have allowed goals from three long throws this season. Spurs could have Kevin Danso chucking balls into the box. They will observe that Chelsea have gotten better at offensive set pieces but are conceding too many chances.

Being so straightforward does not necessarily align with Spurs’ history. But with James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski absent, there is a heavy creative load on Mohammed Kudus. Xavi Simons, targeted by Chelsea last summer, has not done enough since joining RB Leipzig. Spurs are lacking variety in general play. Their forwards remain erratic.

But this is one game where the ends may validate the approach. Spurs fans will not complain if a defensive approach ends a four-game losing run against Chelsea. A win would ignite Frank’s time in charge. How he would love to win this battle with Maresca.