Newcastle United were in the relegation zone just 478 days ago after last season's corresponding fixture away to Leeds United at Elland Road.
Eddie Howe's team did not pick up a victory against the Yorkshire club this time around, but they at least banked a valuable point in the Premier League over the weekend. In that fateful 15 months since playing Leeds last, United have improved in every department, and relegation concerns have been replaced by fans pondering whether their team will be in the Europa League or Champions League.
Newcastle have ventured a long way in a very short space of time. Some say they have arrived a year early at the gates of the Champions League, but it could be easily argued they are here at least two years quicker than the average football observer could have predicted.
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We're about to enter a seven-day period in which the question of which UEFA competition Newcastle will be in next season. Yes, you read that correctly, the Magpies will be back in Europe regardless of what happens in the last three matches of the Premier League season.
They are now guaranteed a top six finish and at the very worst will be playing in the Europa League. However, every player, staff member and fan knows that can get even better in the days ahead.
Beat Brighton and Leicester, and nothing can stop Newcastle from advancing to the group stages of the Champions League when the prospect of trips to Dortmund, Milan and Paris will suddenly drop in front of fans eager to get those passports dusted down. Had United finished in mid-table this season and reached the Carabao Cup final, that's a scenario many fans would have been desperate for last summer.
The relief of not fighting to avoid relegation has been massive in itself but the next step is probably the hardest of all. Another scenario that most would have accepted is Newcastle qualifying for the Europa League next season and then the Champions League in the years beyond that.
But the Magpies find themselves in a departure lounge that could very well jet them off to sit at Europe's coveted top table next season. The big difference between Champions League and Europa League is not only the vast amounts of extra prize money, it's also the fact that Thursday night football is avoided and the danger of Premier League form being hindered.
Either way, though, finishing at least in the top six and returning to Europe means that Eddie Howe and his players have already had an excellent campaign. With three games to play they can make it a dream season.
