Tottenham could find themselves in the throes of a third consecutive relegation battle if they fail to beat Coventry City on Monday night.
The lower reaches of the table are not entirely unfamiliar to Tottenham, who finished 17th in each of the last two campaigns.
They left it until the final day of last season to confirm their safety, beating Everton at home to condemn West Ham to the drop.
After spending more than £300m in the summer transfer window, it was hoped this season might be different, but Spurs have been worryingly slow off the mark.
And, in the eyes of Alan Shearer, alarm bells will start ringing if they are unable to get a result against Coventry on Monday night.
"If they don't beat Coventry on Monday, then I think they'll be in a massive relegation battle,” the Geordie pundit told football.London. “I think that's how big a game it is."
Alarm bells: Alan Shearer believes Tottenham are close to crisis
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The newly-promoted Sky Blues, helmed by Chelsea legend Frank Lampard, were not overly inspiring in the early days of the campaign, but sit 14th after beating Newcastle and Nottingham Forest in their last two outings.
Tottenham, though, will see the match as a ripe opportunity for them to pick up a first win of the campaign and escape the drop zone.
Last weekend’s 1-1 draw with Manchester United suggested Spurs were moving in the right direction, but Shearer is still concerned for the quality of their front line.
He added: "I think there was definitely optimism in the performance against Man United.
“They missed some big chances, Solanke scored one, but he missed three or four big chances, as did others, and I think when you look at the performance overall, I thought it was much improved, much more energy and much more structure to it.
"I've always said the time to worry is when you're not creating the chances and that wasn't the case at Old Trafford.
“They created plenty. So, if that was to keep on going, they could have a little bit of hope, but they desperately need that win. They need a win massively.”