The sharks were circling a week ago, with under-fire Tottenham Hotspur boss Igor Tudor looking set for a swift exit, following his side's disastrous display at the Metropolitano.
Football is a fickle and ever-changing game, however, with the mood having been lifted at N17 following a positive few days, not least after Wednesday's second-leg clash with Atletico Madrid.
Spurs' young core of Archie Gray, Mathys Tel and Xavi Simons all came to the fore, the latter man netting twice to secure a first win under the Tudor regime.
Provided the Lilywhites do beat the drop, there is something there to build around heading into next season, with those who didn't feature in midweek perhaps now fearing for their long-term futures in north London.
What Atleti display could mean for Spurs' absentees
One swallow doesn't make a summer, although on the evidence of Simons' stellar performance, that number ten role is now his to lose for the foreseeable.
At times shifted to the left or right flank, the 22-year-old looks like a different player through the middle, ensuring it will be a tough ask for James Maddison to regain his place when the Englishman does return from injury.
Ahead of Simons too, while Randal Kolo Muani, only on loan at Spurs, doesn't appear a long-term fit, Tudor may view the Frenchman as his go-to pick for the remainder of the campaign, with Dominic Solanke simply proving too unreliable.
Kept out by his latest injury setback, Solanke has only been able to show flashes of his talent to date, including away in Madrid last week, with the 28-year-old yet to prove he can be the heir to Harry Kane's throne in north London.
Elsewhere too, the display of Gray, in particular, could have repercussions for Spurs' pool of midfielders, with the 20-year-old having arguably been his side's best player on Wednesday night.
The man who supplied the assist for Simons' opener, Gray was sublime in that central midfield role, even with Pape Matar Sarr putting in a far more muted display alongside him.
With Tudor settling on that mobile midfield pairing in recent games, and with Lucas Bergvall now back in the frame, it may not bode well for the likes of Joao Palhinha, Conor Gallagher and others in the longer-term.
£30m Spurs star shouldn't start again after Atleti
The centre of the park has been one area left more depleted than most this season, with the likes of Maddison and Bergvall having been hampered by injury, as too has Rodrigo Bentancur.
Such woes have seen Yves Bissouma brought back in from the cold, although there is a sense that the Malian's race is run in north London, not least with his contract set to expire this summer.
Signed from Brighton and Hove Albion on a £25m deal back in 2022, the 29-year-old has struggled to ever get close to the form he showcased at the Amex, with disciplinary issues also a consistent problem in recent years.
While the former Seagulls star did play 44 times last season, having even started in the Europa League final triumph, he was exiled somewhat under Thomas Frank, having now made just eight appearances this time around - all of which have come in the Premier League.
That lowly status was evident in Bissouma's omission from the club's Champions League squad, ensuring he was again forced to sit out proceedings on Wednesday night.
With the likes of Gray subsequently shining, and with Bergvall and Gallagher also in contention for a start, it's difficult to see a world in which Tudor looks to Bissouma again for the remainder of the season.
Indeed, having been plagued by his own injury issues earlier in the campaign, his return in 2026 has coincided with Spurs' dismal rut under both Frank and Tudor, having not actually won a game he has played in this season.
That record certainly isn't all on the midfielder, but it doesn't make for pretty reading, with there no doubt a sense that Bissouma has now outstayed his welcome at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Tudor, or the next permanent manager, has the likes of Gray and Bergvall to build this side around, ensuring the remainder of the season should allow such a partnership to blossom, thus leaving Bissouma shackled to a watching brief.
He may have arrived with such promise almost four years ago, but this isn't a deal that Spurs will look back on fondly.