People joked at the prospect of Tottenham Hotspur suffering relegation from the Premier League, but it's hard to imagine that those embracing the club's demise could see a reality where the club might actually be consigned to the Championship.
An ever-present in the Premier League, two-time champions of England and the reigning Europa League winners, Tottenham dropping out of England's top flight would surely be ranked as the greatest shock relegation from the Premier League.
Stranded in the bottom three with six matches remaining of the season, Tottenham will be desperate to avoid the same fate of other big clubs before them who thought they were too good to go down.
We've seen several surprise relegations through the years, and we've compiled a list of the biggest clubs to suffer the ignominy of losing their Premier League status.
Leeds United
From the UEFA Champions League semi-finals to relegation inside three years, Leeds United's demise from a Premier League powerhouse to League One was startling.
Assembling a star-studded squad which featured the likes of Robbie Keane, Rio Ferdinand and Mark Viduka, Leeds' gross misspending was a major factor in the club's drastic fall from competing amongst Europe's elite to being stuck in England's third tier.
Even their relegation team included Viduka, Paul Robinson and Alan Smith, with Peter Reid's successor Andy Gray unable to preserve their Premier League status in the 2003/04 season as they finished 19th, six points adrift of safety.
Newcastle United
In the 2008/09 season, Newcastle United turned to their local hero Alan Shearer with eight matches remaining in a desperate attempt to stave off relegation.
However, while the appointment of Shearer had the ingredients of a dream rescue mission, the Magpies ultimately went down with a whimper as a team that consisted of Michael Owen, Damien Duff and Kevin Nolan were relegated on the final day following a 1-0 defeat to Aston Villa.
Although the Premier League's record goalscorer won only one of his eight league fixtures, the damage was largely done before Shearer attempted to come to the rescue of his beloved Toon.
Kevin Keegan's reign at St James' Park had ended in acrimony, Joe Kinnear's surprise interim appointment concluded prematurely due to health reasons and Chris Hughton was powerless to stop the rot of a Newcastle side who won just twice after Christmas.
Aston Villa
1982 European Cup winners, Aston Villa had been a constant in England's top flight since 1988, but the 2015/16 campaign was easily the worst in the club's rich and illustrious history.
Only a year prior the Villans had reached the FA Cup final, but following the days of Martin O'Neill, Villa had become a club languishing in the bottom half of the Premier League when their fate was eventually sealed with a measly return of three wins and just 17 points.
Villa had lost the influential figures of Christian Benteke, Fabian Delph and Ron Vlaar in the summer, and with inadequate replacements, Tim Sherwood struggled to get a tune out of his team and was axed in October. Remi Garde was named his permanent successor in November, but the Frenchman's 13% win percentage was indicative of the Frenchman's struggles and he left by mutual consent in March.
Eric Black was named interim until the end of the season, but by that stage the damage was done and Villa were relegated in mid-April. By the end of the campaign, they accrued only half the points of Norwich City in 19th.
Nottingham Forest
In a glittering reign which saw him accomplish two European Cups, five League Cups and a First Division title, relegation in the Premier League's inaugural season wasn't exactly a fitting end to Brian Clough's managerial career.
After finishing eighth in consecutive seasons, Forest were hampered durng the summer transfer window following the sales of Teddy Sheringham and Des Walker to Tottenham and Sampdoria respectively. Despite a winning start against Liverpool, Forest fell of a cliff and were stranded in the relegation zone from the end of August onwards.
An upturn in form in the new year had hoisted the East Midlands outfit of the relegation zone, but just one win in their final 14 matches resulted in Clough's side finishing bottom of the first-ever Premier League campaign.
West Ham
While West Ham's relegation in 2010/11 was a notable moment in Premier League history, it was their demotion eight years earlier which took everyone by surprise.
The West Ham side of 2002/03 could draw parallels to the current Tottenham team in that everyone thought they were too good to go down, especially after a season where they finished seventh and had ambitions of improving on that position.
The Hammers boasted several current and future England internationals - David James, Trevor Sinclair, Joe Cole, Jermain Defoe, Glen Johnson and Michael Carrick - but injuries and suspensions contributed to a torrid run of form which resulted in the club slipping into the drop zone.
Sir Trevor Brooking took the reins on an interim basis in April due to Glenn Roeder's ill health, and although the Hammers finished the season losing just one of their last 11 matches, their 42 points was not enough to stave off relegation. To this day, it remains the highest points total of any team relegated in a 38-match Premier League season.
