Liverpool were offered a glimpse of the future on Wednesday. And, for Jurgen Klopp, it was instantly recognisable.
"The others will not sleep," said the Reds boss as the Premier League trophy presentation party continued on the Anfield pitch. "Chelsea are such a talented team. There are all the others, Manchester United and Man City."
The Londoners indeed served notice of their intentions with the quality on show that saw them breach the Liverpool defence three times, although leaking five goals into their own net underlined the shortcomings they must address over the summer if they are to truly challenge at the top of the Premier League.
But what will have resonated more with Klopp was the behaviour of Frank Lampard on the touchline.
The Chelsea boss was at one point livid, caught on camera giving a right mouthful to his Liverpool counterpart and the home bench.
Defending his players while caught up in the heat of the battle? Absolutely no issue with that.
However, the clip does suggest Lampard may have been somewhat disparaging towards if not Klopp, then certainly his backroom staff.
Regardless of what was exactly said, the Chelsea boss most definitely came out afterwards and warned Liverpool of not getting "too arrogant" just because they are champions.
Having spent so long at Stamford Bridge as player and now manager, Lampard would certainly recognise such a trait.
And it made crystal clear how Liverpool are starting to get under people's skins in a way only serial winners can manage.
When teams are up-and-coming, they are often regarded warmly in challenging the establishing order.
Think of City when neighbours United were ruling the roost, Blackburn Rovers early in the Premier League era, and, most famously, Leicester City in 2016.
But once a number of trophies are accrued, the mood changes. The neutrals begin siding with competitors, and the respect from near rivals becomes increasingly grudging.
After so long being the hunter, Liverpool are the hunted again.
The challenge has now changed, and it won't be easy.
The Reds failed to defend any of their previous four title triumphs, beaten into second place on each occasion by either Everton or Arsenal, their main challengers at the time.
Not since the treble-winning team of 1984 have Liverpool held on to the championship, in doing so becoming the third team at that time to win the title in three consecutive seasons.
Manchester City, when fending off the Reds last season, became the only team to retain the Premier League in the last decade, underlining how it remains the most competitive and difficult to win of Europe's leading leagues.
Liverpool are the fourth different champion in the last five seasons. In Italy, the last four champions have been spread over a 20-year period. In Spain, it's 17 years. In Germany, 14 years. France? 10.
For further comparison, on only four occasions since 1965 have Celtic or Rangers not won the Scottish title, the most recent occasion being Aberdeen in 1985.
At least Klopp can count on his own experience of successfully defending the Bundesliga crown he first won with Borussia Dortmund in 2011.
Liverpool's victory over Chelsea made them only the fourth team in top-flight history to win more than 30 games in a season, after Tottenham Hotspur in 1961 and City in each of the last two seasons.
Outrageous numbers, and even greater reason for angst among their nearest rivals ahead of next season.
Those challengers won't be sleeping - but Klopp will ensure Liverpool are awake to the threat when battle resumes in earnest in the coming weeks.
