When you press the Attack button, you start fighting with a monster and strike a blow that cripples it and takes away 1 life point.
While using the Drive Away option, you defeat a monster at once but this activity requires a sum total of the resources necessary to perform all the attacks.
Note that the amount of resources stated in the attack window is the quantity you need for one attack. Thus, for example, if you need 30 energy points and one item in order to attack a monster with 3 lives, you should spend 90 energy points and 3 relevant items to drive it away.