The sheer, unwavering authority with which Manchester United humiliated Arsenal during their 8-2 victory at Old Trafford on Sunday was such that you'd be forgiven for thinking that we'd never seen anything comparable between these two Premier League powerhouses.
However, only a decade ago did Sir Alex Ferguson's side obliterate the Gunners 6-1 at the Theatre of Dreams as the Scot's 'Treble generation' marched towards their seventh Premier League title. They would only win one more in the five years that followed.
It is that which makes Sunday's win so potentially significant. Indeed, the class of 2001 were laced with silverware and memories of the 1999 Champions League final but that was a group of players, triumphant as it was, coming to the end of their peak. United's current side aren't even close to reaching theirs.
The average age of the team that beat the likes of Henry, Pires and Wiltord 10 years ago was 27, four years older than Fergie's 2011 crop. With the aging Fabien Barthez, Roy Keane and Dwight Yorke as well as only one player under the age of 24 in Wes Brown, the final stage of the Treble team had all the quality of the side that we saw prove so dominant on Sunday but nothing like the same amount of unlocked potential.
Jonathan Birchall has taken a look at eight reasons why despite already looking unstoppable, this is only the beginning for Sir Alex's current champions.
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