Enzo Fernandez struck on 50 minutes for the only goal of the game to strengthen Chelsea's top four hopes.
Maresca later said: "It's very important. First of all, because of the performance. We know how important it is in this moment to win games, but since we start, we try to win games in the way we want, and I think tonight the performance was very good.
"I said yesterday in the press conference, the last four games at home was Leicester, Southampton, West Ham and Wolves. Four teams that they sit back and wait for us. Tonight, Tottenham, it's a different kind of game, so for us in some way it's better."
Maresca admits he changed his tactics for facing Spurs, with Chelsea focusing on playing through Tottenham's high defensive line on the night.
He said, "No, yeah, probably I just said to the players, since day one we don't work every day to win the game in the way we win and play in the last 10 minutes. In terms of waiting for them and give the ball to them. But if you want to become a team, I think you need also to learn and to play in the way we played in the last 10 minutes.
"Win a game in a dirty way. Because I think for 90 minutes until the extra time we were in control, we created chances enough to win the game. We created chances enough in the first half.
"And then to be honest, that's been my mistake (bringing Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Tosin Adarabioyo on for Cole Palmer and Fernandez) because I did the change before I saw the extra time. And when I saw 12 minutes, I saw that probably it was too early to make that kind of change. But fortunately we won the game and we are happy."
On targeting Nicolas Jackson with longer passes, Maresca confirmed it was a deliberate approach.
"We are together already nine months. To be honest, I don't know how long we're going to be together, but until the day that I will be here, I will tell you that our game plan depends on the opposite. We don't do the same game plan. We cannot do the same game plan against Tottenham and against Leicester because they play completely different way.
"So tonight we use more balls in behind. It's because of Tottenham, the way they defend, the way they press. And Nico for us, since we start, I said many times that he's an important player because he's a threat. He's a threat for the defensive line. Off the ball, he's pressing everyone. For sure with Nico we are a different team."