Manchester City ruined the start of the Unai Emery era at Arsenal as the champions signalled their intent to retain the Premier league title with a stylish 2-0 win on Sunday.
Pep Guardiola's side swept to the title last term with a record 100 points and they were quickly back in the groove at the Emirates Stadium.
Raheem Sterling opened the scoring with a clinical finish early in the first half and Bernardo Silva's thunderous strike capped a City success that served as a resounding warning to their title rivals.
No team has successfully defended the English title since Manchester United in 2008-09.
But on the evidence of this composed display, City have every chance of emulating their rivals' achievement.
Picking up where they left off last term, City had too much class for Arsenal and easily repelled the hosts' few dangerous moments.
City's excellence underlined the size of the task facing new Arsenal boss Emery as the Gunners begin life without Arsene Wenger.
Arsenal were playing a competitive match without Wenger in charge for the first time since September 1996.
Emery was hired to replace Wenger following the Frenchman's exit at the end of a dismal campaign which saw Arsenal labour to a sixth-place finish in the Premier league — 37 points behind City.
The Spaniard will need time to make his mark on a moribund club and, while Arsenal couldn't be faulted for effort against City, there was precious little quality about their play.
Guardiola insists his players are still "starving" for success and there is little doubt City's hunger for silverware remains strong.
REDS lIVE UP TO HYPE
liverpool: Jurgen Klopp warned much tougher challenges lie ahead of liverpool's quest to end a near three-decade wait to win the Premier league after brushing aside West Ham 4-0 at a jubilant Anfield on Sunday.
Mohamed Salah opened his account for the season, Sadio Mane scored twice and Daniel Sturridge added a late fourth in an impressive display by Klopp's men as £65 million ($83 million) goalkeeper Alisson Becker kept a clean sheet on debut.
liverpool haven't been crowned champions of England since 1989/90 and finished 25 points behind City last season.
But after reaching the Champions league final in May and spending more than anyone else in the Premier league in the off-season, there is palpable belief that wait will come to an end in May.
"We know about our expectations and noticed the very positive atmosphere around us in the whole pre-season," said Klopp.
"It's good people are positive, but the season again will be unbelievably hard."
Klopp has tried to keep a lid on expectations given the gap to City last season despite spending a reported £170 million.
"We cannot be anything different than the challenger because we have not won anything since I've been in (charge), a long time. We have to invest more, fight more," he added.