Chelsea travel to Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday with the sides mirroring each other in various statistics.
Both are averaging 1.9 goals per game, the joint-highest rate in the Premier League, and each has leant heavily on set pieces to reach that total. Chelsea’s total of nine goals from dead-ball situations trails only that of Arsenal (11) while Tottenham, under new head coach Thomas Frank, have tapped into his old Brentford blend of craft and chaos, scoring twice from corners in last weekend’s 3-0 win at Everton.
Two sides with shared strengths but differing methods, aligned in numbers, but divided by philosophy. Here, then, is how the tactical battle should play out in north London.
Structure and set pieces
Chelsea under Enzo Maresca have built their identity on structure and control. Their set-piece threat has carried much of the team’s attacking weight, and the patterns are now familiar. From corners, they mix short routines with whipped inswingers from both flanks — deliveries that curl into the six-yard area and invite near-post flicks. They also rely on a range of rehearsed short-corner moves. The technical quality of Enzo Fernandez, Reece James, Pedro Neto, Estevao and (the currently injured) Cole Palmer bring those patterns to life.
Open play has been harder to master. After a summer of heavy turnover, this young Chelsea side can dominate possession yet still struggle to break down low defensive blocks. They managed only 0.38 xG from open play in the 2-1 loss to Sunderland at Stamford Bridge last weekend, and just 0.10 non-penalty xG in away defeat by the same score against Manchester United in September.
Maresca’s 4-2-3-1 relies on inverted full-backs and wide wingers to create overloads in build-up, and on midfielders who can receive on the turn under pressure. Without Palmer’s invention, though, they have often lacked ideas and incision in the final third.
Defensively, Chelsea have looked vulnerable to the league’s growing directness: long balls, second phases and especially long throws. They have conceded from two long throws in their past two matches, most recently in the midweek Carabao Cup win at Wolverhampton Wanderers, when they lost four successive aerial duels before a far-post finish from David Moller Wolfe. The warning signs had already appeared when hosts Brentford scored from a similar routine in September’s 2-2 draw.
Neither goalkeeper Robert Sanchez nor his defence has yet imposed authority in their box, often losing sight of runners arriving from behind.
For all their control, Chelsea remain most vulnerable when the game becomes untidy.
Frank’s Tottenham emerge
Frank has brought calm, balance and intent to Tottenham after the turbulence of Ange Postecoglou’s final months. After finishing 17th last season with 38 points, progress in 2025-26 was always the floor, not the ceiling. The intrigue lies in how that progress has taken shape. Frank has traded idealism for a more pragmatic, calculated approach, occasionally helped along by the xG gods.
Spurs have conceded 0.78 goals per 90 minutes this season, down from 1.71 in the previous one, and are facing fewer shots on target and allowing less xG overall. Errors in build-up still appear, but Guglielmo Vicario’s form in goal has often covered them. His +2.3 PSxG (post-shot expected goals) figure is third-best in the Premier League, and his impact extends beyond the numbers. He produced a man-of-the-match performance against Monaco in the Champions League last week and followed it with decisive saves in that win over Everton.
The set-piece evolution at Tottenham reflects their broader attacking rhythm. Inswinging corners are consistently drilled into the same six-yard corridor, using heavy traffic around the goalkeeper to unsettle defences. The movement pattern is deliberately chaotic, players shuffling from far post to near, switching markers and creating blind-side runs, a routine lifted straight from Frank’s Brentford playbook. They have already scored five times from set pieces this season and added long throws to their armoury.
Lucas Bergvall’s long throw, alongside that of Kevin Danso, gives Spurs another way to attack, and their combination could trouble a Chelsea side who have struggled to defend such deliveries into their penalty area.
The evolution is clearest in how they use the ball.
Tottenham are now more vertical, using Pedro Porro’s passing range to break lines and new signing Mohammed Kudus’ carries to drive them forward. Their long-pass share has risen while total passes have fallen, a reflection of Frank’s preference for gaining ground quickly rather than circulating possession for its own sake.
The contrast between home and away matches is striking. On the road, Spurs have scored a league-high 12 goals from 5.8 xG, are unbeaten in five games and have conceded only three times. Playing on their own patch, however, they have produced 4.1 xG across four matches and scored four — evidence that the crowd’s appetite for expansive football sometimes collides with Frank’s measured plan.
It also underlines that while progress is evident, evolution takes time; this lot have come a long way but remain midway through their rebuild.
Injuries to James Maddison, Cristian Romero, Dejan Kulusevski, Dominic Solanke, Destiny Udogie and Yves Bissouma have disrupted the team’s rhythm, while several summer signings missed out on a proper pre-season.
Combined with a busy schedule, it has left Frank refining both structure and chemistry in real-time rather than on the training ground.
Why the midfield battle should be decisive
The midfield contest promises to be both intricate and decisive. Moises Caicedo has been Chelsea’s anchor and most reliable performer this season. Calm under pressure and composed in tight spaces, his press-resistance allows Maresca’s side to build through the centre with control.
He also leads the Premier League in interceptions per 90 minutes, illustrating his influence on both sides of the ball. Opposite him stands one of the league’s most disruptive ball-winners in Joao Palhinha, a destroyer who relishes duels and dictates rhythm through aggression. Palhinha averages 4.2 tackles per 90, the highest rate in the division among midfielders.
Chelsea could strengthen their grip in midfield by pairing Caicedo with Romeo Lavia, forming a pivot that would be capable of circulating possession under pressure.
Liam Delap’s return from a two-month injury absence for this fixture would have been eagerly anticipated, but the striker’s suspension after getting sent off in his comeback appearance against Wolves in midweek leaves Maresca with a decision to make.
Joao Pedro provides a different option, preferring to drop deep and combine with team-mates. That contrast is reflected in the Chelsea scoring charts, where midfielders Caicedo and Fernandez lead the way on three each, with the latter also taking the most shots in the squad. Finding a way to involve their forwards more consistently will be crucial if Chelsea are to trouble Spurs today.
For Tottenham, this match represents another measure of how far they have come under Frank, a coach defined by preparation, adaptability and detail.
Victory would lift them into second place in the table behind only Arsenal and underline their quiet transformation.
With the Premier League season so far being defined by set plays and marginal gains, this game could be its ultimate advert.