🔗 Share this article

Idrissa Gueye received a warm ovation from his Everton teammates after delivering an apology for his shocking red card during the recent victory at Old Trafford.

Rare Situation in English Football

The midfielder became the initial Premier League player to be dismissed for striking a fellow player in nearly two decades when he slapped his defensive colleague during the fixture. Everton's performance was heroic as they competed with a man down for 85 minutes, including stoppage time, to secure 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 chance to speak with Moyes or his teammates at the interval. Afterwards, with the visitors' locker room celebrating after the narrow victory, the veteran requested to speak to the entire group and Keane in particular.

• He expressed regret to the defender for slapping him across the face
• The intense 13th-minute altercation occurred after a misplaced pass in his own penalty area
• He also said sorry to the team for putting them with a difficult challenge
• Gueye's words were warmly received by the squad

Potential Ramifications

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

Ban and International Duty

The Merseyside club may find themselves without their key midfielder until the January. Gueye will serve a three-game suspension against Newcastle, Bournemouth and Nottingham Forest but could be called up for Africa Cup of Nations duty by Senegal before he can return to play against the Blues on mid-December.

'Emotions can run high,' Gueye continued. 'However, there's no excuse for such conduct.'

Opposition Perspective

Meanwhile, Mathijs de Ligt claimed his team of lacking immediacy in the recent loss, which halted their winning streak at multiple matches.

• 'The Premier League is not for the weak,' stated the Dutch defender
• 'We lacked that urgency to score goals,'
• 'When facing sides like Everton,' who drop back it becomes challenging

The Red Devils travel to Selhurst Park for the weekend noon kickoff. 'The next game is really important now,' commented the defender. 'We must recover strongly from this display.'