🔗 Share this article

Idrissa Gueye received a round of applause from his Everton teammates after issuing an explanation for his shocking dismissal during Monday's victory at Old Trafford.

Rare Incident in English Football

The midfielder earned the distinction of being the first Premier League player to be sent off for striking a teammate in 17 years when he slapped his defensive colleague during the fixture. The Toffees' performance was remarkable as they competed with a man down for 85 minutes, including added time, to achieve David Moyes' first win at Old Trafford as a away coach in 18 attempts.

'I want to apologise first to Michael Keane,' he wrote on his accounts. 'I take full responsibility for my reaction.'

Team Reaction

The Senegalese international did not get an opportunity to converse with Moyes or his colleagues at the interval. Afterwards, with the visitors' locker room buzzing after the narrow victory, the 36-year-old asked to speak to the entire group and Keane in particular.

• Gueye apologized to the defender for slapping him across the face
• The intense early confrontation occurred after a poor distribution in his own defensive third
• Additionally he apologized to the squad for putting them with a difficult challenge
• His apology were warmly received by the players

Possible Ramifications

The 36-year-old may yet be punished by the club despite the manager's statement that he likes his team members fighting with each other. The Scot has a regular disciplinary procedure for red and yellow cards, including fines, which is expected to be applied in Gueye's case.

Suspension and National Team Duty

The Merseyside club could be without their influential midfielder until the new year. Gueye will serve a three-match ban against Newcastle United, AFC Bournemouth and Forest but might be called up for AFCON responsibilities by his national team before he becomes eligible to play against the Blues on mid-December.

'Passions can sometimes overflow,' Gueye continued. 'However, there's no excuse for such conduct.'

Rival Reaction

Meanwhile, Mathijs de Ligt accused United of showing no immediacy in the recent defeat, which ended their unbeaten run at five games.

• 'English football doesn't tolerate weakness,' stated the Netherlands international
• 'We lacked that urgency to score goals,'
• 'Against a team like Everton,' who drop back it becomes challenging

The Red Devils travel to Selhurst Park for the weekend lunchtime start. 'Our upcoming match is absolutely crucial,' said the defender. 'We must recover strongly from this display.'