Another defeat for Chelsea has seen the pressure increase on manager Graham Potter, but the former Brighton boss may want to look to others who have come back from seemingly desperate situations to thrive in the dugout.
The Blues were beaten by Spurs in north London on Sunday, with Oliver Skipp and Harry Kane on target. It leaves Potter's team down in 10th place in the Premier League table, 14 points adrift of the Champions League places and seemingly with next to no chance of a top four finish.
Things might look bleak for the 47-year-old right now, with two potentially pivotal games on the way, but there have been signs from the higher-ups that he is being given time to turn things around. While that can sometimes mean little more than a stay of execution, there are plenty of examples of managers finding a second wind and even winning silverware not long after things looked bleak.
Alex Ferguson
Whenever a top-tier manager is under pressure, the fate of former Manchester United boss Ferguson tends to be referenced. The Scot retired in 2013 as the most successful manager in Premier League history, but it wasn't a success story from the get-go.
Back in 1990, defeat in the third round of the FA Cup would supposedly have spelled the end for Ferguson. Mark Robins is credited with scoring the goal which saved his manager's career, and United ended that season as cup winners before going on to bigger and better things.
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“People talk about that goal for obvious reasons," Robins said in 2018. “Fergie put in his book normally I would have flicked it and missed but because I got pushed in the back by Stuart Pearce it took me on to the ball and carried it into the net.
“I had a fairly productive FA Cup tournament that year and thought it was going to be the norm. But little did I know."
Mauricio Pochettino
Pochettino's initial appointment at Southampton was a controversial one among some fans, with questions over the dismissal of predecessor Nigel Adkins. The Argentine succeeded on the south coast, though, earning a move to Spurs, but his eventual popularity in north London came after some nervy moments early on.
Despite wins in the first two games of the season, Tottenham were down in the bottom half of the table after nine matches. The struggles looked like continuing when Andi Weimann put Aston Villa ahead against Pochettino's team, but late goals from Nacer Chadli and Harry Kane helped avert catastrophe.
"I can find many other goals that were fantastic but, for me, goals are related to emotion, to the period you are living in," Pochettino said in 2017, reflecting on Kane's last-gasp winner. "For me, that goal was an amazing goal because it meant for us, for everyone, the possibility to stay here today.
"It's true, the team were 14th or 13th [they were 11th] and we were a little bit under pressure because the team were playing well, but not winning games and we were a bit under pressure. Always in football, when you don't get good results, the first to be sacked is the manager...
"That is why that goal allowed us to carry on working and try to change the club. We were in the first season at Tottenham and people on day one when I signed the contract said, 'Ok maybe in a few months, we have a new face in front of us!'"
Maurizio Sarri
Maurizio Sarri's spell in England was short-lived, but it could have been even shorter. The Italian had just one season in charge of Chelsea after arriving from Napoli in 2018, but struggled to reignite a top-four push after replacing Antonio Conte.
A 6-0 defeat at Manchester City in February 2019 was a low point, with the Blues falling to sixth after Sergio Aguero's hat-trick at the Etihad Stadium. Some outlets went as far as reporting he was gone, while the manager's comments after the game suggested - at the very least - he didn't have long left.
"You have to ask the club,’ Sarri said after the defeat. "I’m worried about my team. I’m worried about the performance. My job is always at risk."
He stuck around, despite facing similar questions ahead of Chelsea's League Cup final loss against the same opponents. Sarri did ultimately leave at the end of the season, but not before clinching a vital top-four finish and winning the Europa League final.
Jose Mourinho
Sarri wasn't the only Premier League manager at risk in the 2018-19 season. Jose Mourinho might not have lasted the season at Manchester United, but he did at least claim victory in a sink-or-swim game in the autumn.
In October 2018, there were reports Mourinho's time at Old Trafford might be up regardless of the result at home to Newcastle. Early goals from Kenedy and Yoshinori Muto looked set to ensure the visitors sealed Mourinho's fate, but three late efforts - including a last-gasp winner from Alexis Sanchez - turned things around.
The result set up a run of 10 points from a possible 12 which lifted Mourinho's side back within touching distance of the European spots, while the period also included a dramatic Champions League win against Juventus. The manager failed to survive the next slump, though, and was sacked in December after a run of one win in six league games.
Louis van Gaal
Mourinho's predecessor was similarly able to stave off the spectre of a sacking, but he didn't even need wins to prolong his stay. Back in December 2015, The Guardian reported that Mourinho's availability - after being sacked by Chelsea - meant Louis van Gaal might have just two games in which to save his bacon.
United were winless in four under Van Gaal, with draws against Leicester and West Ham followed by humbling defeats at home to Bournemouth and away at Norwich. A double-header with Stoke and Chelsea awaited after Christmas, with the Dutch coach under pressure.
Despite taking just one point from the games, though, he stuck around. Results picked up in the new year, keeping United in top four contention, though they ultimately finished down in fifth.
There was a chance for Van Gaal to go out on a high, though, and where he struggled in the league he thrived in the FA Cup. The former Netherlands boss was given the reins for a run to the final at Wembley, where his team beat Alan Pardew's Crystal Palace after extra-time.
Luis Enrique
One year before Van Gaal's struggles, one of the stars of his title-winning Barcelona teams was under similar pressure. Luis Enrique had taken charge at Camp Nou after impressing with Celta Vigo, but things weren't going to plan.
In January 2015, ESPN reported that a 'disaster' of a defeat at Real Sociedad was a problem for the former Spain midfielder. What's more, director of football Andoni Zubizarreta left the club and former club captain Carles Puyol also moved on, amid reports Lionel Messi could make a Premier League switch.
In Europe, meanwhile, a tricky last-16 game against Manchester City was on the horizon. If Luis Enrique was to stick around, ESPN reported, he would need to keep winning games.
You probably remember what happened next. The Catalan club won their next six in the league, scoring 26 times in the process, and ended up pipping Real Madrid to the title.
Success in the Copa del Rey followed, as did a breathtaking run in Europe. City were overcome both home and away, as were PSG in the quarter-finals, while a sensational Messi goal (yes, he stayed) helped them overcome Bayern Munich on aggregate in the semis before Juventus were vanquished in the final.
