Pragmatism meets dogmatism when Spurs host Chelsea, with both head coaches still trying to win fans over
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few managers were in the running when Chelsea were looking for a replacement for Mauricio Pochettino in May 2024. It was an extensive process and involved the club talking to Thomas Frank before they settled on Enzo Maresca.
The feeling was that Maresca’s positional game and focus on possession made him most suited to Chelsea’s squad of technicians. Frank, who had performed brilliantly at Brentford, had to wait for his next opportunity. Overlooked by Manchester United after they fired Erik ten Hag, it arrived when Tottenham hired the Dane after sacking Ange Postecoglou last summer.
Now Frank and Maresca meet with both in big jobs. Theirs is not a rivalry yet but they had some close duels last season. Frank’s Brentford were unfortunate to lose 2-1 at Stamford Bridge last December and had the better chances when they drew 0-0 with Chelsea in April.
