The wounds from last Sunday’s humiliation at the Emirates will still take time to heal, but performances and results like this against a fine Villa side will go a long way to silencing the growing number of critics looking to question Nuno Espírito Santo’s suitability for the Tottenham manager’s job and the application of some of his players.

Tottenham fashioned more chances and could have been out of sight long before Watkins sent a wave of panic around the stadium with just over 20 minutes left, courtesy of a first goal of the season from Targett’s low cross.

But Villa are no mugs. They demonstrated that in last weekend’s victory at Manchester United. Yet they can have no complaints about this loss.

At no point did they really have a grip on the game and in losing parity so soon after they battled back to earn it they also relinquished the opportunity to properly test the nerves of a still fragile home side.

Tottenham’s goals came from the unlikely sources of a coolly-taken finish from midfielder Pierre Emile-Hojbjerg and an own goal from Matt Targett, who stabbed the ball home under pressure from Moura just four minutes after Ollie Watkins had levelled for Villa in the second half.

That Spurs went into the weekend having taken fewer shots and created fewer chances than any other side in the Premier League was disappointing but perhaps not a surprise.

This was a result that will ease the immediate pressure but a performance that should convince nobody.

It had been more than a month since Spurs had taken the lead in a league game when Pierre-Emile Højbjerg, having won the ball on halfway, continued his run, and took a pass from Son unmarked on the edge of the box.

By far the biggest positive for Spurs in the first half was that they largely stopped Villa from playing; certainly the visitors were nowhere near as impressive as they had been in recent away games at Manchester United and Chelsea.

“The game was too scrappy,” said Smith. “That was the disappointing thing and we didn’t do enough with possession.”