Flashback to this time last year, everyone tipped Scott Parker's Cherries to finish dead last - every creditable pundit did not give them a slither of hope.
Now, thanks to some proactivity in the appointment of Andoni Iraola and a clear ethos to invest in Europe's hottest young talents, many have picked the Cherries to ripen in the league this year, where many positives can be taken from their opening encounter.
Whilst it may take some time for the Spaniard to instil this exciting philosophy into his youthful squad, Bournemouth's encouraging performance at home to West Ham keeps the keen eyes of the casuals upon them, with the expectation that they still have many more gears to go into.
On the other side of the spectrum, Hammers fans, who should be on cloud nine following their European triumph just two months ago, feel more pessimistic than ever.
Their club captain has jumped ship and the board have, seemingly, taken far too long to empty their pockets in the transfer market.
Despite the 90 minutes of evidence we have to go off, four things can be taken away from the intriguing score draw.
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Lucas Paqueta could thrive under Pep Guardiola
Much of the talk about this fixture was plagued by the uncertain future surrounding West Ham's talisman, Lucas Paqueta.
In an era where players forcing a move to other clubs is becoming unfavourably fashionable, Paqueta's tight-lipped and inspired performance was incredibly refreshing to watch, amid reports that Manchester City have tabled a bid worth up to £70 million (as per Fabrizio Romano on Twitter).
The 25-year-old only joined from Lyon last summer and was fundamental in the knockout stages of West Ham's Europa Conference League run, evidently something that has caught the eyes of Manchester City's reliable recruitment team.
The Brazilian seems to have the perfect balance of dazzling trickery and dogged tackling, with the latter being more prevalent whilst he was deployed as a deep-lying playmaker for David Moyes this afternoon.
It will be that tendency and desire to get stuck into tackles which will appease Pep Guardiola more than anything - the ability to impact the game tremendously in all three thirds.
West Ham should (and will) do everything in their power to keep hold of their mercurial midfielder; they simply cannot afford to lose their two best players in one window.
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Joe Rothwell is integral to Bournemouth's play
Someone who I was pleasantly surprised with at the Vitality Stadium was Joe Rothwell, whose effect on the outcome of the match was second to none.
Evidently an intelligent player, the 28 year-old dictated the tempo and urgency of the game superbly, making all of the correct decisions throughout the course of the match.
Rothwell's importance to the side has seemingly increased following the departure of Jefferson Lerma, whose five-year spell on the Dorset coast ended after he moved to Crystal Palace earlier in the window.
The Manchester United academy graduate was deployed as the pivot connecting defence to the attacking midfield and performed expertly well.
Some cynics may point fingers at his surrendering of possession in the build-up to Jarrod Bowen's opener, but his unrivalled fitness levels and influence on the match should more than make up for it.
It would take something to displace him in the heart of midfield any time soon.
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James Ward-Prowse will be deadly for West Ham
No team conceded more set-pieces, and even more specifically, corners, than Bournemouth last season.
With this thought in mind, the presence of the likes of Kurt Zouma, Tomas Soucek and Nayef Aguerd could have turned out to be an incredibly potent weapon if the set-piece deliveries were up to scratch.
Up steps James Ward-Prowse.
The imminent arrival of the Southampton man adds another dimension to this West Ham side, he is a specialist from dead ball situations and his pinpoint deliveries will be paramount in bailing West Ham out of difficult situations where they may not be able to carve out many open play chances.
The three aforementioned giants will be licking the lips at the possibility of the 28 year-old whipping balls into the penalty area.
They were not very creative in the final third this afternoon, a scrappy corner may well have done the trick.
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The big man up top has never been so prevalent in football
I would have liked to have raised a point about Iraola's tactical set-up this afternoon but, in truth, I don't believe there was enough evidence to take something concrete away from it - this may take some time.
Instead, a more general observation of the ever-growing importance of a strong, powerful number 9.
Dominic Solanke's performance today can be used as a pertinent case study, the broad shoulders coupled with an imperious 6'2" frame unsettled the West Ham defenders, specifically Nayef Aguerd, who was frequently caught out by the striker's pace and power in behind.
His unrelenting runs in behind consistently caused them problems and he was eventually rewarded with a goal. These comparisons can be drawn across Europe - there are very few successful teams across the continent who play with skilful, diminutive forwards solely leading the line.
Naturally, there are some anomalies - Gabriel Jesus at Arsenal could be one, but whether he has an important role in the Gunners' potential successes remains to be seen.
Solanke's profile fits the modern game like a glove.
