Both teams were depleted for this rescheduled for TV game, but neither these factors had an effect on the healthy attendance at Goodison Park.
However, one may have felt the crowd had turned up to marvel at the ball skills of The Harlem Globetrotters paying a flying visit to Liverpool, rather than anything two of the top teams in the Premiership had to offer.
Everton were without Mikel Arteta, Leon Osman and long-term absentee Tim Cahill while Chelsea were minus Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard and, for both teams, it showed.
In truth, Chelsea started brighter than Everton but it was not until the 16th minute until either keeper was really tested and that was when Manuel Fernandes almost sneaked a great free-kick past Petr Cech after Phil Neville had been fouled on the edge of the Chelsea area.
The first half was a non-event with Chelsea playing with slightly more fluidity as Nicolas Anelka and Jon Mikel Obi pulled most of the strings. However, Everton had a spell of good pressure with Fernandes, Yakubu and Andy Johnson all finding their rhythm in the later stages.
But the Londoners finished the half stronger and it was no surprise when Michael Essien scored four minutes before half-time although, after such a turgid game, the surprise was that it was a such a classy goal.
Salomon Kalou ran in on goal, passed to Essien who touched it forward to Shaun Wright-Phillips who touched it straight back for the Ghanaian to lift over the static Tim Howard.
The second half was little different from the first with Everton again on the back foot for much of the half with Chelsea comfortable in the knowledge the Toffees lacked any real penetration from midfield with both Cahill and Arteta absent.
Johnson and Steven Pienaar were replaced by Thomas Gravesen and Victor Anichebe as David Moyes tried to freshen up his jaded looking side. The changes worked in terms of possession, with Everton seeing most of the ball without ever being a threat to Chelsea's goal.
Fernandes was nearly the hero of the hour as his second free-kick of the game, after Yakubu was held up by John Terry, sailed millimeters wide of Cech's goal with some Everton fans already celebrating.
Everton did look revitalised after that sniff of goal and Fernandes was doing his utmost to unsettle Chelsea with forays forward but the Londoners held firm.
Gravesen played a lovely ball to Fernandes who turned and shot first time from the edge of the area but it went over Cech's bar as Chelsea hung on to their narrow advantage.