Tottenham Hotspur would be doomed if they had not defeated Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux last weekend. Roberto De Zerbi has Joao Palhinha to thank for that.
While Spurs remain stuck in the relegation zone, they have not been cut adrift after Nottingham Forest and West Ham United both picked up wins. Their relegation rivals have improved, and the 17th-place Hammers are two points ahead.
Tottenham need to paint a purple patch across the final phase of the season. So far, they have lacked rhythm and clarity in attack. It hasn't helped, in fairness, that neither James Maddison or Dejan Kuluevski have kicked a ball under any Lilywhites manager this season. Now, Xavi Simons has joined them in the infirmary after injuring his ACL against Wolves.
It's not all doom and gloom, though. Spurs may yet pull off an escape act, with several stars improving under De Zerbi's wing.
Spurs' biggest winners under De Zerbi
While Tottenham's injury crisis deepens, a few fit players have stepped up. Antonin Kinsky, for example, has thrived in the place of the injury Guglielmo Vicario, and few would have foreseen that after the Italian's error-strewn display against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League.
Simons was starting to make gains as Spurs' playmaker-in-chief, though he now faces a race to recover before the close of the calendar year.
There is certainly more togetherness about De Zerbi's Tottenham team, the players having bought into the Italian tactician's vision and principles.
It's paying off. Whether it will be too little too late remains to be seen, but recruits such as Conor Gallagher are starting to play a positive part, with the England midfielder having suffered a torrid time after joining from Atletico Madrid in January for a £35m fee.
Gallagher's all-action style may need to lean toward attacking play now that Simons is out injured, and it might just work. Palhinha is a tough-tackling menace, and De Zerbi has found his new version of Moises Caicedo over the past few Premier League games.
De Zerbi has found his new Caicedo at Spurs
He might not be as flashy as Simons, but Rodrigo Bentancur's return to fitness has come at the perfect time for De Zerbi's side, adding a calm and collected presence at the middle of the pitch.
Journalist Mitch Fretton said that the Uruguay international was one of several "pretty clear weaknesses" under Frank's management earlier this season, while analyst Raj Chohan went as far as to condemn Bentancur as "a candidate for the worst midfielder at a big six club".
Harsh, but there's no question that Bentancur flattered to deceive over the first months of the campaign, lacking authority and accuracy in his central role. However, he has the right style to be the main man in the middle, and there, he could play a Caicedo-esque role under De Zerbi.
When at his best, Bentancur will drive forward, progressing play and operating intelligently. He knows when to control the tempo and when to burst into the danger area.
Since returning to fitness against Brighton & Hove Albion a few weeks ago, Bentancur has impressed for the Lilywhites, a steady presence at the base of midfield.
Caicedo only spent one year in De Zerbi's Seagulls system, but he played a significant part in lifting the south coast side away from relegation fodder and toward their reputation as a fluent mid-table outfit.
Now, the Ecuadorian is a superstar for Chelsea, who he joined for a whopping fee of £111m.
Bentancur isn't going to reach those heights, but he is a strong and active dueller who has a shrewd passing game and an ability to pop up with big moments.