Four key talking points from Middlesbrough's defeat - plus Aitor Karanka's reaction

Daniel Ayala scored Boro’s goal at the end of the first half, but George Friend’s error at the start of the second half enabled Zaha to claim the winner.

What were the key talking points to emerge from the game?

SOME RARE DEFENSIVE LAPSES PROVED COSTLY

The strength of Middlesbrough’s defending was the bedrock of their promotion success last season, so it was strange to see a succession of defensive errors effectively hand Palace victory on a plate.

Friend will not want to relive today’s game too many times, as he stood off Zaha as the winger crossed for the visitors’ first goal before hesitating fatally as he conceded possession to tee up Zaha’s winner.

Ayala was also at fault for Palace’s first goal, failing to keep tabs on Benteke as the striker headed home, and while it would be unfair to be too critical of players who performed superbly for the vast majority of last season, Aitor Karanka now has plenty of options at the back.

Calum Chambers was an unused substitute this afternoon, but will expect to see plenty of action having moved on loan from Arsenal, while Bernardo Espinosa is now fully fit after moving to Teesside with a knee injury. Too many more mistakes, and Karanka might decide that changes are required.

SHOULD GASTON RAMIREZ HAVE STARTED THE GAME?

Yes. The Uruguayan came on in the 57th minute to replace Viktor Fischer, and did more in his first ten minutes on the field than the player he replaced had managed in the best part of an hour.

Fischer was better than he had been at Fulham, but it was a surprise to see him in the ‘number ten’ role and he faded dramatically after a reasonably bright first 20 minutes. It remains to be seen where Karanka eventually concludes his best position is.

Ramirez had a long flight back from international duty in Uruguay, and only arrived back on English soil on Thursday, so Karanka might well have been reluctant to play him from the start.

But the same was true of Cristhian Stuani, and he retained his place in the starting line-up and played for 81 minutes before he was replaced by Adama Traore. Having run the game in Boro’s previous home game with Stoke, Ramirez should surely have started this afternoon.

IS ALVARO NEGREDO’S LACK OF MOVEMENT AN ISSUE?

Alvaro Negredo didn’t have a bad game, and came close to scoring on the stroke of half-time when he raced on to Fischer’s through ball and drilled in a shot that was saved by Steve Mandanda.

However, while the Spaniard’s goalscoring qualities are obvious, it is becoming increasingly apparent that his wider involvement in the game is limited.

He doesn’t really run the channels, and he doesn’t look particularly adept at bringing other players into the game, so unless Boro’s attacking midfielders are able to run beyond him, there is a risk of him becoming isolated at the head of his side’s attack.

His aerial ability is obvious, so perhaps there should be a greater onus on the likes of Stewart Downing and Stuani to deliver crosses into the box. Alternatively, Karanka might have to consider ditching his preferred 4-2-3-1 system in order to switch to playing two strikers up front.

SHOULD BORO HAVE HAD A PENALTY?

Probably. Boro had three big penalty appeals turned down in the second half, and while two would have been extremely harsh decisions, the Teessiders can feel aggrieved that the other was not awarded.

Wilfried Zaha’s stoppage-time foul on Friend definitely wasn’t a penalty – the contact came outside the area before Friend tumbled over inside the box – but the earlier two handball decisions were much more contentious.

The first saw Boro fans yell for a penalty when Scott Dann appeared to block Stewart Downing’s cross with his arm, but any contact was minimal and Swarbrick was not in a position where he could see the incident, which occurred in a crowded box, properly.

However, the other incident should surely have resulted in a spot-kick. The ball brushed Damien Delaney’s arm after Mandanda saved from Ramirez, and while the Palace defender will claim he was trying to get his arm behind his back, there was definitely contact. At that stage of the game, with just a minute left, Swarbrick’s decision not to point to the spot was crucial.

MANAGER’S REACTION:

Middlesbrough head coach Aitor Karanka said: “Did we deserve more? Yes, for sure. But we have lost and we have to learn because today has been a good example that if we don’t play with our intensity, we are in the Premier League and we are going to pay for our mistakes.

“If we arrived today unbeaten, it’s because we played the first three games with an amazing intensity, and today, especially in the first half, we didn’t play with that intensity.

“In the second half we had chances, we had a lot of things, but again it’s a good game to learn that we can’t drop our intensity for one second in the Premier League.

“I don’t need to say anything (about the penalty appeals). I think everybody could see, so for that reason, I don’t need to say anything. Just to say that today we have lost from mistakes.”

Crystal Palace boss Alan Pardew said: “It was very similar to the other games we have had in this division this year, so tight, and the breaks went our way today.

“I was pleased with the first 20 minutes of each half. I felt we controlled those periods and then maybe because we hadn't won for a while, we sat back towards the end of the first half.

“I sent them out early in the second half to just replicate what we did in the first, but try to stay with it and we got a goal and then at the end of the game, really we were hanging on against a very confident Boro.

“They looked a team to me that hasn't just been promoted, they looked better than that.”

TEAMS:

Middlesbrough (4-2-3-1): Valdes; Barragan, Ayala, Gibson, Friend; Clayton (de Roon 57), Forshaw; Stuani, Fischer (Ramirez 57), Downing; Negredo.

Subs (not used): Guzan (gk), Nsue, Chambers, Traore, Rhodes.

Crystal Palace (4-2-3-1): Mandanda; Ward, Dann, Delaney, Kelly; Ledley (Flamini 83), McArthur; Zaha, Puncheon, Townsend (Lee 76); C Benteke (J Benteke 83).

Subs (not used): Hennessey (gk), Tomkins, Dreher, Fryers.