Sure, maybe Norwich could have kept hold of Emi Buendia for one more season or persisted with Daniel Farke in that Premier League campaign, but neither is one that really provokes a sense of missed opportunity like their FA Cup quarter-final against Manchester United back in 2020.
Norwich actually played well on the day. Lukas Rupp missed a glorious chance to open the scoring, Todd Cantwell nearly slotted Teemu Pukki through on goal, and Daniel Farke's side edged the first half before Odion Ighalo gave United the lead.
Ben Godfrey actually cleared a certain goal off Manchester United's own goal-line after a glanced header that came off Bruno Fernandes and then Alex Tettey. Cantwell eventually hit the equaliser, forcing the game to extra time, before Timm Klose was sent off for denying Ighalo a goal-scoring opportunity.
Harry Maguire eventually scored the winning goal three minutes from a penalty shootout. There ended the FA Cup dream for the Canaries.
In many ways, it feels like the ghost quarter-final. I was one of the very few permitted inside Carrow Road in a working capacity, and like so much of that C behind-closed-doors Covid era, it was surreal, sad and a reminder of what should have been. I'm not even sure those of us inside the stadium felt lucky to be there - the overriding feeling was guilt for those who weren't.
The experience was unrecognisable from an ordinary match day. Seats were covered by banners. Documentation and temperature checks were required to get inside the stadium. It was sterile.
Contrast that with the previous round, when an away end of 9,000 City supporters at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium experienced a yellow and green night for the ages against Jose Mourinho's side.
Tim Krul was the hero when Norwich City won their last fifth round game at Tottenham. (Image: Paul Chesterton/Focus Images Ltd)
The memories of that night were iconic. There was a real frenzy and buzz about what they achieved. The prize was a home quarter-final.
That is where the regret comes. Imagine a full Carrow Road for such an historic occasion. It would have been buzzing, raucous and incredible. In another universe, that would have been the hottest ticket in Norfolk, and who knows how it would have affected the game, the atmosphere, and, ultimately, the result.
For this football club, FA Cup quarter-finals don't come round often. In fact, that one against Manchester United in 2020 was the first in my lifetime. It was the first since 1992. They've only done it seven times in their history, even if the most recent one feels like it never actually occurred.
Which brings it full circle to this weekend, as Philippe Clement's side try to move within a game of Wembley. It represents a significant opportunity to further fuel that growing optimism by slaying a Premier League giant.
This group, although depleted, has become an effective and ruthless machine under Clement. Regardless of who comes in, who the opposition is or where they are playing, Norwich have been playing with consistency and fluidity. That is perhaps the most impressive aspect of their progress since the start of 2026.
Norwich City's last FA Cup quarter final was surreal and sterile. (Image: Paul Chesterton/Focus Images Ltd)
Norwich are also unshackled by any imminent threat of relegation owing to recent form. An 11-point buffer should ensure they are playing Championship football next term, which will enable Clement to make a selection at Elland Road that, of the available players, is strong and frontline.
It is a shame, though, that they return to Championship football on Wednesday at home to Sheffield United. That means Clement will have to make decisions in-game with that in the back of his mind, especially in a scenario that involves extra time and potentially penalties.
The way that Norwich play, with energy and strong out-of-possession focus, does feel geared to causing Leeds major problems. That confidence and new-found energy will make City tricky opponents for Farke's side.
Even if Norwich do opt to rotate, examples like Mathias Kvistgaarden and Liam Gibbs, who have slotted in seamlessly in the absence of others, show Clement can do so without impacting wider team performance.
Crucially, given current form, every one of a Norwich persuasion travels north with confidence rather than merely hope. Given Leeds' predicament, they will naturally have one eye on securing their top-flight status. There will be a vulnerability there to be picked at, even though they will view it as a major opportunity to progress.
Norwich City have enjoyed a remarkable start to 2026. (Image: Paul Chesterton/Focus Images Ltd)
With Farke sidelined, relegation fears still present and a major run of matches to come, it will be interesting to see how the German approaches this latest meeting given how serious he took cup competitions at Carrow Road.
For Clement, who has managed in major European competitions and won trophies in Scotland and Belgium as both a player and a coach, the job will be about transferring that experience onto a group of players, the majority of which are young and, in some cases, haven't tasted a Premier League opponent or surroundings.
That youthful exuberance may well be a help to Norwich. There is a sense of invincibility at that stage of a football career. Clement, as he has done so masterfully at Carrow Road to date, will need to squeeze every ounce of ability out of that group come Sunday afternoon.
I'll be travelling to Elland Road dreaming of righting that wrong of 2020. It would be quite the occasion if Norwich could secure a place in the quarter-final.