Thomas Frank era can ignite with rare Tottenham win over Chelsea

Thomas Frank has the chance to join a short list of just four Tottenham managers on Saturday evening, when Chelsea make the trip up to N17.

Since the Premier League's inception in 1992, only Martin Jol, Harry Redknapp, Mauricio Pochettino and Antonio Conte have overseen top flight victories over Spurs' London rivals. Frank can join Redknapp in achieving the feat at the first attempt.

There's an ugly inferiority complex which seems to manifest in this fixture, with Chelsea typically boasting the assurance of a side that knows what's going to play out over the course of the 90 minutes. More often than not, they're celebrating three points.

And although Spurs have had more success against the Blues since Jol masterminded the 2006 victory, courtesy of a wonderful left-footed Aaron Lennon finish at the Lane, Chelsea are entering Saturday's game having won four on the bounce and ten of the previous 13 meetings.

Thus, Frank has a huge opportunity to shift the opinions of those who may not yet be convinced at this early juncture. Beating Chelsea goes a long way, given the misery that's long been associated with this fixture.

Tottenham must be confident of exploiting vulnerable Chelsea

The Frank era has so far been defined by set-piece efficiency and a newfound resilience defensively. It hasn't exactly been glorious, with Spurs perhaps failing to appease those with a keen eye for aesthetics, but the framework's efficacy has thrust the Lilywhites into third place in the Premier League table.

The most notable victory arrived back in August at Manchester City, with Spurs since toppling West Ham, Leeds and Everton in the top flight. Tough grounds to go and win at, no doubt, but Frank is searching for another statement success. A home victory hasn't come to pass since the opening weekend of the season, and the Spurs boss is merely the latest struggling to evolve the stunning Tottenham Hotspur Stadium into a "fortress".

A concerted effort will be made by supporters to lift what can be a sullen atmosphere in N17, with Frank excited for Saturday's "unique and special occasion" under the lights. The Dane will know that his team must co-operate in fulfilling such excitement: “We need to come flying out and get the fans with us," he said on Friday.

He lost just two of his eight meetings with Chelsea during his time at Brentford, winning three, and although he failed to get the better of Enzo Maresca last season, the Tottenham boss must be confident about outmanoeuvring the Italian here.

Frank and his analysts will undoubtedly be aware of the Blues' dead-ball frailties. The visitors enter Saturday's game having surrendered the most xG from set-pieces (6.10) in the Premier League, and 45.01% of their total xG against has come from such situations—also a league-high. However, they also rank second in the division with eight set-piece goals scored, and third with 5.07 set-piece xG.

It may well be a battle of the set-plays in N17, which would be in tune with the Premier League's current climate.

However, it's not just Chelsea's set-piece vulnerability that should encourage Frank. The Dane must've raised an eyebrow when Maresca explicitly disclosed his team's unpreparedness for facing Sunderland's back five in their 2-1 defeat last weekend. Spurs could revert to the system which brought plenty of success against Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Super Cup, but has seldom been seen from the start of a game since.

That element of surprise could catch the visitors cold, with Chelsea's build-up suffering when teams lock onto them man-to-man high up the pitch, which Frank instructed against PSG. Maresca's positional approach can be compromised by dogged man-orientation, and Spurs' press will be key to them asserting control on Saturday evening.

Overall, Frank's Spurs seem to match up well with the current iteration of Maresca's Chelsea. The visitors' squad is talent-laden, even in Cole Palmer's absence, but there's a soft underbelly that the hosts can exploit.

Only our torrid history in this fixture is allowing the pessimist within me to manifest, but I've rarely felt so confident about securing a result against our subjugators from SW6. Victory for the Dane, no matter how pleasing on the eye, will go a long way to convincing supporters that Spurs have their man.