Mathieu Flamini was delighted to make a winning debut for Crystal Palace.

The former Arsenal midfielder featured in victory at Middlesbrough.

"It was a great game and victory at Middlesbrough, the team responded well to what the gaffer wanted," Flamini told the Croydon Advertiser.

"It was important to win to get our season going. We played some good football and had opportunities, but the most important thing was the three points.

"Christian Benteke is a great player. We saw a great header for the goal and he made a difference – it's fantastic to have him.

"Wilfried Zaha also had a top performance, he's a great player. There is a lot of quality in this team, so we can be ambitious and I am very excited about the rest of the season."