🔗 Share this article

The Everton midfielder was given a round of applause from his Everton teammates after issuing an explanation for his shocking red card during Monday's victory at Old Trafford.

Rare Incident in Premier League

Gueye became the initial Premier League player to be dismissed for hitting 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 added time, to achieve David Moyes' initial victory at Old Trafford as a away coach in multiple tries.

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

Team Reaction

Gueye was unable to secure an opportunity to speak with Moyes or his colleagues at half-time. Following the match, with the visitors' locker room buzzing after the 1-0 win, the 36-year-old asked to speak to the entire group and the defender in particular.

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

Potential Consequences

The 36-year-old may yet be punished by Everton despite Moyes' statement that he likes his players competing with each other. The Scot has a regular disciplinary procedure for red and yellow cards, including financial penalties, which is likely to be applied in this situation.

Ban and National Team Duty

Everton may find themselves without their key midfielder until the January. Gueye will serve a three-match ban against Newcastle, AFC Bournemouth and Nottingham Forest but could be selected for AFCON duty by Senegal before he can return to play against the Blues on mid-December.

'Passions can sometimes overflow,' Gueye continued. 'But nothing justifies such behaviour.'

Rival Reaction

At the same time, Mathijs de Ligt accused United of lacking urgency in Monday's defeat, which halted their unbeaten run at five games.

• 'The Premier League is not for the weak,' stated the Dutch defender
• 'We lacked that urgency to score goals,'
• 'Against a team like Everton,' who drop back it's difficult

The Red Devils travel to Crystal Palace for Sunday's noon kickoff. 'Our upcoming match is absolutely crucial,' commented the defender. 'We must recover strongly from this display.'