The prospect of one of the Premier League's six wealthiest clubs being relegated to the Championship should be essentially impossible, given the immense resouces they have at their disposal.
But with 10 games left to play Tottenham Hotspur are just a point above 18th-placed West Ham, and in the kind of wretched run of form that makes it difficult to see where enough points are going to come from.
So, what would be the financial impact on Spurs if the unthinkable really does happen?
Spurs earned £690m worth of income last year, according to data from the Uefa European club finance and investment landscape report, putting them ninth overall in Europe.
That income would take a serious hit if they were to drop into the Championship.
According to BBC Sport analysis, the reduction could be as much as £261m overall.
One key area in which they would be harmed is ticket revenue, which earned the club £130m, the fifth-highest across the continent.
Currently, Spurs charge an average of £76 per fan for each home match, with only five clubs in Europe costing more.
Since building their new stadium for around £1bn, Spurs have focused heavily on selling hospitality tickets and corporate packages for matches in order to maximise matchday takings.
But they will simply not be able to charge the same amount for an opening day fixture against a side like Lincoln City - who are currently chasing promotion from League One - in the second tier in August, should they ultimately finish in the bottom three, and a drop in attendances would likely occur too.