The former Newcastle midfielder joined the Eagles from Paris St Germain last month in a £10million deal, and marked his debut against Norwich with a well-taken goal in stoppage time to seal a 3-1 win over the newly-promoted Canaries at Carrow Road.
The 29-year-old - who moved to Ligue 1 in a #19million switch during January 2014 - believes there is plenty more to come from Alan Pardew's well-organised team, who next host Arsenal and Aston Villa before heading to Chelsea and then tackling Manchester City.
"I was happy to get the goal. I wanted to start well because it is a new season with my new team so I think it was the best way to start, especially as last season wasn't simple for me. Now I want to focus on Palace and do my best for the team and for the club.
"It means a lot to me to be back in the Premier League as I enjoyed my time at Newcastle.
"I have had a fantastic welcome from the club since I arrived and I want to do my best to help them get the best position possible in the league.
"We have to keep working hard and I think we can do better - we have to keep hold of the ball better, but it is the start of the new season and we have plenty of time to play together.
"But we know that we have a tough start and are going to have to be ready next week."