The post-match headlines were dominated by Kevin De Bruyne's admission that he has opened talks with Manchester City over a contract extension that would likely see him end his career at the Etihad.
But the 90 minutes before those comments were revealed showed City what the next few years could look like.
De Bruyne had just helped Belgium to a 2-0 Nations League win over England, to keep the world's number one ranked side in with a chance of progressing to next year's finals. The City playmaker started in an attacking midfield role, bursting forward to win the contentious free-kick that was converted by Dries Mertens to give Belgium their two-goal lead.
Until that point, De Bruyne was showcasing the forward runs that have become his trademark in the last few years at City - the kind of play that has earned him a growing number of individual awards. It was after Belgium locked in their lead, however, that De Bruyne showed what he could offer City in the coming years.
At 29, De Bruyne still has two full seasons left on his current contract and will have just turned 32 when that deal expires. If he signs the extension that he is currently in talks over, he could be looking at playing for City until his mid-thirties, and possibly taking his time at the Etihad to ten years. Just like any player approaching the end of his career, it's realistic to expect some sort of decrease in his ability to produce those lung-bursting runs he has become known for.
Instead, he may have to drop further back and conduct the play from a more defensive midfield position - similar to the way Steven Gerrard or Paul Scholes did towards the end of their illustrious careers.
So it was reassuring for City to see De Bruyne focus on a more defensive role against England, as Belgium dropped slightly deeper to prevent England from getting back into the game.
Acting almost like a quarter-back, De Bruyne was the Man of the Match for Belgium in the second half, pulling off some audacious long-range balls to turn defence into attack - one particular eye-catching effort finding a teammate with the outside of his boot.
It's the kind of role De Bruyne is less familiar with at City, who are more used to sitting on the edge of an opponent's penalty area trying to break down a stubborn defence.
One thing that can be guaranteed with De Bruyne is his technical ability won't leave him whatever role he plays in the team - something he proved in just 90 minutes against England.
As De Bruyne's contract talks admission finally gave City fans licence to dream of another few years of the brilliant Belgian in sky blue. Now, they've also had a glimpse of what his next five years could look like if he does end his career in East Manchester - and it's just as classy as the previous five years.
