After last week's loss at Spurs, David Moyes opted to go route one by replacing James McFadden and Marcus Bent with James Beattie and Duncan Ferguson.
Chelsea made two changes to the side which won 4-0 against Real Betis in midweek, Rob Huth and Petr Cech in for Ricardo Carvalho and Carlo Cudicini.
Everton's tactics looked like paying off early doors with Ferguson's cross allowing Cahill a shot on goal in the first minute.
It wasn't long before it was business as usual with Chelsea passing up the park for Frank Lampard to force a low right-hand save from Nigel Martyn.
Mikel Arteta whipped in a cross that almost gave the Toffees the lead, but David Weir headed straight at Cech. A minute later Arteta spurned a golden chance as he fizzed the ball across the ground instead of picking out Ferguson's head.
Everton were playing with purpose and confidence but as always with Chelsea one gets the feeling Jose Mourinho's side are playing within themselves.
The game became bad tempered after Claude Makelele was slightly hurt. The referee decided a dropped ball was in order but Didier Drogba sprinted over to protest, sparking a free for all.
Shaun Wright-Phillips played into Tim Cahill's hands on 36 minutes by conceding a soft penalty as the Aussie entered the box. The much maligned Beattie slotted the resulting spot-kick into the top right corner to give the Toffees the lead.
Lampard levelled with a magnificent 25-yard screamer barely five minutes after the restart. The midfielder received a throw from Asier del Horno before firing home from the left of the area.
Eidur Gudjohnsen then replaced Wright-Phillips as Mourinho looked to shake his side up with Everton refusing to lie down despite the equaliser.
Drogba had the ball in the net on 63 minutes, but the flag had already been raised as Gudjohnsen had strayed offside.
Chelsea then moved up a gear and Arjen Robben replaced Joe Cole as the London side moved in for the kill, but the expected onslaught never truly materialised.
The referee enraged the Goodison crowd as he waved away a penalty shout after John Terry handled a Bent shot in the area.
A flurry of substations in he dying stages couldn't alter a result that was a fair reflection on the game and that will keep both managers fairly happy.