Villa's loss on Tuesday had snapped their 11-match winning streak in all competitions. But the win over Forest continued their run of victories at home, as they registered their 11th straight win at Villa Park, and lifted them to second in the league table.
Emery's men are a point above third-placed Manchester City, who host Chelsea on Sunday.
The Villa manager said his team's focus must now shift to Wednesday's visit to Crystal Palace.
“This is a challenge, and to beat Palace is very difficult. We want to win lots of matches in a row, but it is difficult," Emery told reporters.
Emery also praised his players, who have ensured that Villa have not dropped points at home since August.
“So good, these three points. We needed rest and work to get ready for this match. The players responded fantastically to the demands we set. We dominated with the possession, the positioning and we did it with our mentality to keep our momentum,” he added.
Arsenal, who have played a game fewer, are three points above Villa, but Emery did not want to dwell on the title race.
"Our challenge is the next match, not how we will finish. Our target is to be in Europe," he said.