Tottenham Hotspur are now due to take on a Wolverhampton Wanderers team with a new head coach in their final match of the year, after the Midlands outfit sacked Gary O'Neil following their late defeat to Ipswich Town.
The move comes days after chairman Jeff Shi backed the now-former manager following a defeat against West Ham United. However, after that brief reprieve, Shi has decided to make a change after a fourth straight reverse.
Everton also beat Wolves 4-0 earlier this month, while Bournemouth scored four in their previous match in a 4-2 verdict. That run abruptly ended a four-game unbeaten streak, which included wins vs Fulham and Southampton.
However, they are their only two wins of the campaign, meaning Wolves remain in the Premier League relegation zone. They are four points away from Crystal Palace in 17th place, a gap that could grow to five if they avoid defeat against Brighton and Hove Albion.
Four points also separates them from rock-bottom Southampton, who have yet to play their game against Spurs this weekend. Tottenham are one of three teams yet to play Wolves this season and are due to do so in their final match of the calendar year.
That is a fortnight away - with Wolves playing Leicester City and Manchester United before then. Those weeks will presumably give them time to make a permanent appointment, meaning Spurs may have to guard against the new manager 'bounce' when they welcome them over the festive period.
Tottenham have previously been a beneficiary of that trend after the arrivals of Antonio Conte, Harry Redknapp and Tim Sherwood. The latter won 16 points from a possible 18 from his first six matches, and that's said to be a Premier League record. Conte took 14 from his opening half-a-dozen games, with Redknapp managing one fewer over the same period.