Arsenal sent out a stunning statement of intent that was heard loud and clear from Eastlands to the east end of Glasgow following their mauling of Everton on Saturday.
A squad already written off as lacking the depth and maturity to win the title could not have answered the critics in better fashion.
Their mauling of Everton, who finished one place behind them last term, left no-one in any doubt to the Gunners credentials.
Arsene Wenger's side have been considered the top four's weakest link, with the financial muscle of Manchester City, as well as Aston Villa and Tottenham, already massing to overhaul them.
The relative paupers of Everton also had top-four aspirations, backed up by their renowned energy and fighting spirit.
So to be so totally outplayed in their own intimidating backyard came as a shattering humiliation.
Arsenal's display will have sent a shockwave through Celtic, too.
The Scots will face Arsenal on Tuesday in the first leg of their Champions League play-off with considerable trepidation.
The tie is a £20m winner-takes-all clash to play in Europe's elite, and Celtic face a team who showed they still can play the best pure football in the land.
Wenger knows what his team will face at Parkhead, saying: "This win gives us great confidence ahead of playing Celtic. We expect high pace, a lot of enthusiasm and total commitment from Celtic.
"We expect a great drive forward from them. I did manage to watch some of their TV game against Aberdeen, but the game was a bit too easy for them for my liking."
Everton chief David Moyes, a former Celtic player, agreed that his old club face a tough tie.
"It will be hard for Celtic, Arsenal have the capability to hit you on the break," he said.
"Every time their 'keeper got the ball they counter-attacked and we looked like we would concede."
Arsenal went ahead through Denilson, before Everton's shocking defending at set-pieces gifted them headed goals from Thomas Vermaelen and William Gallas.
The brilliant Cesc Fabregas grabbed two after the break before Eduardo netted the sixth in injury-time, quickly followed by Louis Saha's consolation for the Toffees.
Fabregas played down any title talk, however, saying: "It is just the first game in the title race, that's all. We must keep going like this.
"We have sold two great players (Toure and Adebayor). They both did not want to continue at Arsenal.
"What has happened is the best for them, and for us as well. We want players who are committed and want to be together, and we want to win things together.
"We know we can do that if we continue to play like we did against Everton.
"But I must underline that it is just the first game. We won 6-1, but this is football, one day you are the best and two days later you are the worst team in the world.
"Let's keep it real, this is game one and there are 37 to go so we will talk at the end to see how we have done."
After his second goal, the Arsenal captain held up a Gunners' shirt emblazoned with the name of his friend Daniel Jarque, in tribute to the Espanyol captain who died of a heart attack recently.
Fabregas said: "Hearing of Daniel Jarque's death was terrible news for me, I played alongside him for two years in Spain's under-21s, and he was my friend.
"It was shocking, not just in Spain but for the world of football. I dedicated my goals and the win to him and to send all my best wishes to his family."
Wenger added: "It was a good team performance, but there is still room for improvement. But I am very happy with the team and their attitude.
"We have matured and this is a good basis to continue to show what we want to do.
"Before the game we were seemingly being ruled out by everybody, we are told we do not have the squad. Well we wanted to show that we do have the squad."
Moyes took responsibility for the Everton performance, coming after weeks of transfer wrangling with Manchester City over Joleon Lescott.
Moyes said: "There were no positives at all from that. Everyone knows we want more signings, but it is not easy and we have (financial) restraints.
"The team we had out finished fifth last season and got to the FA Cup final, so we should have seen a far better performance.
"There was too much wrong to mention and this has knocked our confidence.
"I need to do better and coach them better, there are no excuses for that. I take responsibility and must do better with the players that I have got.
"But the players have to take their responsibility to head the ball out of the box, mark people and go with runners at set-pieces."
Everton skipper Phil Neville dismissed claims that Lescott's transfer saga had unsettled the side.
He said: "Forget that rubbish, that's a side-show.
"It's simple really, when a cross comes in you have to mark your man. If someone's running forward, you have to stay with them. We didn't do that and we got punished."
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