Over their shoulder, a different reality bit.
2-1 up after 86 minutes thanks to a double from Lewis McGugan, Wednesday would have faced off against Manchester United in the fifth round of the famous old trophy were it not for a whirlwind three minutes that saw Micky Mellon’s side earn something of a giant killing.
The two sides meet this weekend on level ground in League One, but what happened to the Wednesday players that played that day?
1. It was January 2016..
..and Wednesday were still in the early stages of the Carlos Carvalhal revolution. Who played that day? Let's have a look to see what's happened since.. Photo: Getty
2. Lewis Price
A dependable back-up keeper over the 2015/16 season having arrived on a free from Palace, Welsh international Price made only a handful of appearances before leaving for Rotherham in the summer of 2016. There he made 20 league appearances over four years before heading into coaching. After a few months as a youth goalkeeping coach at Bournemouth, he joined MK Dons as first team keeper coach last month. Photo: Dave Thompson
3. Joe Bennett
Having played three league matches for Wednesday on loan from Aston Villa, the former England youth international moved onto Cardiff City and enjoyed a hugely successful five years, making 30 Premier League appearances in the 2018/19 season. Released in the summer, he moved to Wigan last month. Photo: Dave Thompson
4. Vincent Sasso
Earned a one-year contract after a successful initial loan spell, Sasso made a total of 28 league appearances for Wednesday before he moved onto Portuguese side Belenenses in 2017. Now 30, he's been at Swiss side Servette for the last couple of years. Photo: Gareth Copley