Unai Emery rues missed opportunity after Aston Villa fail to close gap on Arsenal | Aston Villa

Unai Emery conceded Aston Villa “lost a very good opportunity” after defeat against Everton, but he called for a sense of perspective after his side missed the chance to return to second in the Premier League.

Villa are seven points behind the leaders Arsenal and level on points with Manchester City, with all three teams dropping points in the title race over the weekend; City lost against Manchester United at Old Trafford, and Arsenal were held to a goalless draw at Nottingham Forest.

Emery alluded to the bigger picture after Thierno Barry’s goal secured victory for David Moyes’s side at Villa Park. Villa face Fenerbahce in the Europa League on Thursday, ­hoping to secure their place in the last 16 before a trip to Newcastle.

“We are doing a fantastic season,” Emery insisted. “When we played at Everton [in September], we drew and we were worse than now.

“Of course, today we lost a very good opportunity and we are in front of other teams who are competing to be in the position we are. We lost the opportunity to be second in the league, something really fantastic. But after feeling our frustration at losing this match, we must try and recover our good, positive way.

“Football is to win, to lose, or to draw. When you are losing you are sad, like we are now, when you are winning you are happy but mostly we have had more time happy than sad.”

A disappointing afternoon for Villa was underlined by their ­captain, John McGinn, being forced off after 18 ­minutes with a knee injury. Villa entered the game without Boubacar Kamara, who has a knee injury that Emery has said could be long term, and Amadou Onana was also absent because of a hamstring problem.

Asked if McGinn’s injury would alter their focus in the transfer market, Emery said: “Onana and [Ross] ­Barkley are coming back in one or two weeks. We have enough players to get the performance we need. Of course we must replace some players who are leaving.

“Of course when some players are getting injured it’s not good, but it’s ­football and we have to accept it. It is an opportunity for another player to play.”