Arsenal travel to Hull on Monday night facing a side still scrapping for their Premier League lives.
Just one point ahead of Sunderland in 18th place, the job is far from done for the Tigers despite back-to-back wins over Crystal Palace and Liverpool.
Something that Arsenal fans probably rarely consider is the impact on the players themselves when a club is relegated, losing more than just their ego-boosting Premier League status but also a large chunk of their wages.
Speaking to the press ahead of the game, Hull’s Robbie Brady admitted that the thought of having to take a 50% paycut should they go down is certainly playing on their minds.
“It is in people’s minds – it’s your life at the end of the day and you want to be here making the best living for yourself,” Brady said.
“But we just need to concentrate on the job ahead. We’ve put ourselves in a good position with the two wins but we need to get ready to go again.
“We said that after we beat Palace last weekend and we said it again straight after beating Liverpool on Tuesday night.
“The job is not done yet and we’ll keep on going until we know we’re safe and beyond.”
This will be the fourth meeting of the sides in the last 12 months with Arsenal getting the upperhand in the FA Cup final last season and FA Cup third round this. In the league, however, Hull took a point from the Emirates with a 2-2 draw in October and the Gunner’s task on Monday night is far from straightforward.
“They are one of the best teams in the Premier League, they move the ball so well so we have to be switched on,” Brady continued.
“Alexis Sanchez has been excellent this season but he’s not the only one to watch so it’s going to be a tough job to shut them out.
“But the mood has definitely changed in the camp. That is what two wins can do for you. But the job is not done and we have to keep going.”
“You do feel the pressure, as that is only natural. But it is good. I can’t call how many points we will need. We just want to get a good result on Monday and to take it from there.”