It may seem like a lifetime ago, but Newcastle United's starting line-up on Sunday when Leicester City return to Tyneside will be almost unrecognisable from the Foxes' last visit to Tyneside just 15 months ago.
And that's something that struck Brendan Rodgers and his Leicester back-room team as they started to make preparations for Sunday's crunch clash. Last year's January 3 encounter in front of an almost empty St James' Park turned up the heat on Steve Bruce and Mike Ashley as a 2-1 loss left them looking over their shoulders in the top-flight.
It was an awful start to the year 2021 that began offering very little hope for Newcastle fans but ended with optimism as Ashley sold up to Saudi Arabia's PIF, Amanda Staveley and the Reuben brothers. When the team sheets are printed on Sunday though it will feel like a different club to Leicester.
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A packed house will be present to see if Newcastle can clinch their Premier League place for next season while the starting X1 may have just THREE survivors on it compared to the painful loss against the Foxes in last term's corresponding fixture. Indeed, from Bruce's team that lost that day only Fabian Schar, Miguel Almiron and Joelinton could start on Sunday.
Newcastle supporters will be shocked to see the difference themselves when it comes to 2021 vs 2022 against Leicester at home. That chilly day in January saw the team line-up read: Darlow, Yedlin, Fernandez, Schar, Clark, Ritchie, Almiron, S Longstaff, M Longstaff, Joelinton, Wilson.
This weekend it could look like: Dubravka, Krafth, Schar, Burn, Targett, Joelinton, Shelvey, Bruno, Almiron, Wood, Saint-Maximin.
The goalscorer on that afternoon Andy Carroll is long gone, while Matty Longstaff, who started the game with his brother Sean, is currently on loan at Mansfield and DeAndre Yedlin has since played for Galatasaray and Inter Miami no less! Players such as Ciaran Clark and Federico Fernandez face uncertain futures and Callum Wilson remains sidelined with injury.
Even since Leicester last thrashed Newcastle 4-0 in December, Rodgers and his staff are facing up to a new look Toon defence with Dan Burn likely to partner Schar and Matt Targett slotting in at left-back. The midfield will boast Rolls Royce star Bruno Guimaraes while Chris Wood spearheads the attack.
Even Joelinton is effectively a different player to the one who lined up on the left-hand side of Bruce's attack that day compared to the midfield enforcer he is these days. If anything it shows how quickly teams can evolve in a short space of time with another big reshuffle highly likely by the time Leicester return to St James' Park in 2022/23.
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