How West Ham United have been used as benchmark in Manchester City relegation talk
Manchester City could find themselves in West Ham's shoes next season by competing in the Championship.
The Citizens have been found guilty of 114 breaches of Premier League financial rules, with all punishments still on the table.
Those sanctions may be anything from a large fine, a transfer ban, expulsion from the Premier League, and a mammoth points deduction.
If it is the latter that gets handed down to the Manchester club, they may inadvertently be relegated as a result.
The Sky Blues' finances would certainly take a hit in that regard.
However, finance expert Kieran Maguire believes West Ham have proved that one area of concern would be alleviated for Man City.
Why have West Ham been named in Man City relegation talk?
West Ham's relegation last season was a disaster, coming just years after continental success in the UEFA Conference League.
The situation proved that no club is safe from the drop, especially if poor decisions and squad-building are involved.
Relegation also brought plenty of fears in regard to losing top stars such as Jarrod Bowen, while others such as Mateus Fernandes and Crysencio Summerville did end up departing.
The Hammers have, of course, also lost the lucrative Premier League television money that arrives with being a top-flight side.
But they have managed to keep their core fanbase coming to games despite the drop.
And as quoted in the print edition of the iPaper on 6 October, finance expert Maguire believes City would have the same outcome.
He stated: "City fans will still turn up. That’s not an issue. We’ve seen that with West Ham. They get relegated, but the hardcore fanbase will remain."
Gate receipts are undoubtedly an important part of a club's revenue stream, and it was part of the reason the Hammers moved from Boleyn Ground into London Stadium.
But a major reduction in that income has seemingly not been a big issue for the Irons this season.
What have West Ham's London Stadium attendances been like this season?
As per Transfermarkt, while West Ham have yet to reach the averages of last season at 62,347 spectators, they have come quite close with 60,567.
That is only a 2.85 per cent drop in average attendance, and with this being a small sample size of just four games, that could very much improve as the weeks go on.
Especially if the Irons continue to get results as they are and remain competing on the top end of the second tier table.
And it is entirely possible that it is West Ham who end up in the Premier League, with Man City in the second tier next season.