Both sides headed into the clash in North London looking for a first league win of 2026/27, and it was Villa who came out on top, despite almost throwing away a three-goal lead.
Conor Gallagher and Jan Paul van Hecke scored late on to jangle a few Villa nerves, but the final whistle brought huge relief for Emery and his players, as Roberto De Zerbi comes under increasing pressure as Spurs boss.
Villa captain John McGinn was in buoyant mood at full-time and he praised the grit shown to get the job done in the capital.
"It's a relief. Leading into the international break, you don't want to be in the bottom three.
"I thought we were really poor in the first half, we showed nothing going forward, but in the second half we stood tall and deserved the win.
"You start to think if the new players believe in what made us successful in the past few years. The new players are buying into it, it takes time. It's not easy, but it's rewarding."