Phil Foden opened the scoring before Erling Haaland struck twice, although City were made to work for the points after Daizen Maeda equalised and Zian Flemming converted a late penalty. The result kept City six points clear at the top of the table.
Maresca was pleased with the result but placed particular emphasis on the way his players were developing.
“First of all, I am very happy because it’s a matter of winning games in this business,” he said. “We were able to win seven in a row and what made me very happy was day-by-day with the players, the way they are working and how I can see them improving.
“Today I thought we controlled the game, created chances and were good off the ball. We are doing well and I think that’s the most important thing.”
City took the lead through Foden's finish from Jérémy Doku's cutback, only for Maeda to respond almost immediately. Haaland restored the advantage before half-time and added his second after the break, but Flemming's penalty ensured the closing stages were uncomfortable for the hosts.
Maresca also defended the credit his players were receiving, insisting that the squad were valued internally even if outside criticism did not always reflect their performances.
“They need to be worried about people inside the club and about me for the credit I give to them,” he said. “And they are not worried about people who judge from outside because they know people trying to judge them, it’s people who are working who want to create a problem but inside I promise the players are happy, they’re getting credit and I give credit to them.”
Ipswich Town manager Gary O'Neil was proud of his side's effort but frustrated by the goals conceded and the opportunities they failed to take.
“Really proud of the group. I think they had a go today. There's bits in it that we could have done better,” he told Sky Sports. “The second goal I'm really disappointed with because it is something we had covered. When I say covered, I really mean covered.”
O'Neil felt Ipswich could have taken something from the match, but said their late attacks lacked the quality required to punish City. He also questioned three offside decisions against his team, arguing that losing those attacking opportunities had damaged their momentum.
“I want us to keep pushing and pushing until the end and we're really looking forward to Nottingham Forest,” he said.
Manchester City's win came with fitness concerns, however. Maresca said Mateo Kovačić, Matheus Nunes and Haaland had told him they were feeling okay, while Nico O'Reilly continued to have a back problem. He added that the club would need to assess Antoine Semenyo before determining his availability.