A week is a long time in football so a year is something of a lifetime - which Arsenal have proved as they regenerate their squad.
Mikel Arteta is into his second full season and has the Gunners on the cusp of the Champions League having finished a disappointing eighth last term. His first summer of recruitment saw more misses than hits with several of those players no longer at the club.
This time round Arteta and the Emirates hierarchy made an effort to lower the average age of the squad, adding a host of players in their early 20s. Several of their new recruits were criticised but the north Londoners are beginning to have the last laugh with a top four return in their hands.
Arsenal saw off West Ham United at the London Stadium on Sunday with Gabriel scoring the winner. A year ago to the day the Gunners won 2-0 at Newcastle with Mohamed Elneny and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang both notching at St James' Park. The latter has now left the Emirates after his contract was terminated.
Aubameyang was frozen out after a disciplinary breach and Arteta took the decision to let the prolific forward go. Against Newcastle, Willian was also in attack alongside Aubameyang. The Brazilian was signed on a free but on big wages and failed to deliver, and has since headed back to his homeland.
Eddie Nketiah, who has shown his quality in recent weeks, was among those on the bench as was Emile Smith Rowe. The playmaker, who came through the ranks at the Emirates, began to emerge as a leading light last term and has continued to develop this season.
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Gabriel Martinelli and Martin Odegaard both started in the win at Newcastle 12 months ago and the pair have continued to be crucial figures this term. The Norwegian was on loan at the time but has since signed permanently, although his transfer was among those to cop criticism.
Dani Ceballos was added on loan from Real Madrid but inconsistent performances coupled with his desire to return to Spain saw him exit the Emirates. Elneny, who has played in recent weeks, started alongside Ceballos in Newcastle but Thomas Partey and Granit Xhaka have established themselves as the preferred two.
Xhaka showed his versatility by playing at left-back on that day. And it's Arsenal's backline that has changed most over the past year. Gabriel was partnered by David Luiz, who like Willian, had joined from Chelsea. Hector Bellerin began at the right-back with Mat Ryan in goal.
Of that back five only two still remain at the club. Ben White has usually partnered Gabriel following his £50m move from Brighton and Hove Albion in the summer. Although it was Rob Holding, who scored the opener at West Ham, who partnered Gabriel in White's absence.
Takehiro Tomiyasu, a summer signing, played on the right flank with Nuno Tavares, also a summer addition, on the opposite side. Aaron Ramsdale, who was relegated in successive seasons, moved to Arsenal in the summer for a hefty fee which was widely criticised.
Now the England goalkeeper is pushing for a top an international level with Arteta's Arsenal continuing to take shape. He said last month following more departures in January: “Those who left were players that we did not really use and I don’t know how much they would have played.
“We made a decision based on what we saw every day, how the players could contribute in their role at the club and whether they wanted to do that. I don’t think we have to justify a decision which we believed was the right thing for the club and then for the individual players that were asking for an opportunity to play football because they hadn’t had any minutes for several months.”
Arsenal XI vs Newcastle last season: Ryan, Xhaka, Luiz, Gabriel, Bellerin, Ceballos, Elneny, Martinelli, Odegaard, Willian, Aubameyang
