Just one glance at the teamsheet here underlined how far Bournemouth have progressed as a club during the Eddie Howe era.
This was supposedly a second string yet Bournemouth lined up with two England internationals in Lewis Cook and Jermain Defoe, a £25million club record signing in Jefferson Lerma and a £10.7m left-back in Spaniard Diego Rico.
Howe made 10 changes yet could still field a side worth a combined £75m and it really was little wonder they proved too strong for MK Dons as Lys Mousset, Ryan Fraser and Jordon Ibe found the net.
Imagine telling the above to a Bournemouth supporter a decade ago as they battled relegation into non-league football having been handed a 17-point deduction in a fight for their very existence.
The early rounds of the League Cup often come with two-fold difficulty for the larger clubs.
The temptation to rotate the squad is only natural, yet that often means attendances take a hit.
So many ties involving Premier League clubs have been played out in front of banks of empty seats. Not so here, with Bournemouth’s sensible ticket pricing plan of £8 adults and £3 kids ensuring a full house.
‘These are always difficult games and I was really pleased with the attitude, it was really intense,’ said Howe. ‘It’s given me things to think about.’
It was the one starter who survived from Saturday’s 2-2 Premier League draw with Everton, Fraser, who inflicted the most damage on the League Two visitors, though others gave Howe food for thought.
Scottish pocket rocket Fraser supplied a pass into Lys Mousset on the quarter-hour and the French striker glided past a couple of defenders before forcing his shot underneath Dons keeper Lee Nicholls.
And Fraser was on hand to thump home a volley for the second on 37 minutes, culminating a front-to-back move that started with keeper Artur Boruc and accelerated with Ibe’s charge to supply the cross.
Colombian midfielder Lerma was afforded plenty of time and space to show some neat touches and he almost capped a memorable debut with a rasping shot that Nicholls pushed away one-handed.
Having belatedly caught up with his pre-season fitness, the record signing may experience the cut and thrust of the Premier League for the first time at Chelsea on Saturday.
Fellow debutant Rico almost announced himself in style as well, smacking a second-half free-kick against the crossbar.
‘Both new players did really well,’ said Howe. ‘It’s difficult to come straight into a team but it’s good to have that experience.’
Defoe looked sharp in leading Bournemouth’s line and was denied at the near post by a Nicholls save before the break, shortly after Mousset saw his shot acrobatically pushed away.
Ibe was worthy of a goal and got it in stoppage time with a drive that found the bottom corner after he’d shifted onto his left foot.
Dons boss Paul Tisdale said: ‘They’re entitled to have a large talented squad but we did really well. We’ve lost the game but we gained a lot tonight.’