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.
