🔗 Share this article

The Everton midfielder was given a round of applause from his Everton teammates after delivering an explanation for his extraordinary red card during the recent victory at Manchester United.

Rare Situation in Premier League

Gueye earned the distinction of being the initial Premier League player to be sent off for hitting a teammate in 17 years when he struck Michael Keane during the fixture. The Toffees' performance was heroic as they played with 10 men for 85 minutes, including stoppage time, to achieve David Moyes' initial victory 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

Gueye did not get an opportunity to converse with Moyes or his colleagues at the interval. Afterwards, with the away dressing room celebrating after the narrow victory, the 36-year-old requested to address the entire group and Keane in particular.

• He expressed regret to Keane for slapping him across the face
• The intense 13th-minute altercation occurred after a poor distribution in his own defensive third
• Additionally he apologized to the team for leaving them with a monumental task
• His apology were positively accepted by the squad

Possible Ramifications

The 36-year-old could still be punished by the club despite the manager's admission that he appreciates his team members fighting with each other. The Scot has a standard punishment process for dismissals and cautions, including fines, which is expected to be applied in Gueye's case.

Ban and National Team Duty

The Merseyside club may find themselves without their key player until the January. The Senegalese international will serve a three-match ban against Newcastle United, Bournemouth and Forest but might be called up for AFCON responsibilities by his national team before he can return to play against the Blues on 13 December.

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

Rival Reaction

At the same time, the Manchester United defender claimed his team of lacking urgency in the recent defeat, which halted their winning streak at five games.

• 'English football doesn't tolerate weakness,' said the Dutch defender
• 'We lacked that urgency to score goals,'
• 'When facing sides like Everton,' that defend deep it's difficult

United head 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.'