The Toffees were unable to make the most of their opportunity to ensure survival in the Premier League this season on Sunday as they fell to a 2-1 loss against Brentford.

 

Everton are still in control of their destiny and have two games left to save their season, with the first of those crucial encounters coming against Crystal Palace on Thursday.

 

 

Former Toffees star Ball has stressed that Everton need to improve their defending and attacking in set-piece scenarios, while they are also not good enough when it comes to handling crosses that come into their box.

 

Ball explained that those are two key areas opponents know they can exploit, which Everton need to learn from and improve as soon as possible.

 

 

“We’re not stopping crosses well enough and struggling on set pieces and teams know that we’re not the best at those”, Ball wrote in his Liverpool Echo column.

 

“Opposition teams are going to try and hurt us every time there and we need to learn from that.

 

 

“Our attacking quality from these situations haven’t been up to standard either.

 

“They’re the key moments in games and we haven’t been good enough.”

 

A win on Thursday in their last home game of the season will see Everton secure top flight safety and they will be determined to send the Eagles back empty-handed.