Arsenal dismantled woeful Sheffield United at Bramall Lane on Monday night to remind West Ham United just how good Declan Rice really is.
Of course, Hammers fans need little reminder of a player who engineered such illustrious success under David Moyes, winning the club's Player of the Season award for the past two years and clinching the Europa Conference League last June before making the cross-London switch for a staggering £105m.
All-encompassing and every-ounce-brilliant Rice is the prized jewel to have emerged from Moyes' tenure, but his departure felt inevitable and it was paramount that money recouped from his sale was redirected toward signings capable of making an impact, ensuring that West Ham keep a foothold on their position as a regular competitor for continental competition.
That, by and large, has happened, and while replacing the England international directly would be somewhat futile the likes of Edson Alvarez and James Ward-Prowse have impressed in the centre of the park and Konstantinos Mavropanos has added mettle to the backline, while Mohammed Kudus has been exceptional in pumping fresh life to a frontline still in need of something more.
West Ham wasted £27m + on a flop who earned more than Declan Rice did
David Moyes missed the mark with this dismal signing.
Rice might have departed for pastures new last summer but Moyes and West Ham's transfer team have secured a sensational signing in Kudus, signing a coveted star proven on the continental and international stage for a reasonable fee.
Whether he remains at the club for years to come is another question entirely, but if he were to depart he would cost a pretty penny in what underlines this greatly-improving strategy down at the London Stadium.