🔗 Share this article

The Everton midfielder was given a round of applause from his fellow squad members after delivering an apology for his extraordinary red card during Monday's triumph at Manchester United.

Rare Situation in Premier League

The midfielder earned the distinction of being the initial Premier League player to be dismissed for hitting a fellow player in nearly two decades when he struck his defensive colleague during the match. The Toffees' display was heroic as they played with a man down for 85 minutes, including added time, to secure David Moyes' first win at Old Trafford as a visiting manager in 18 attempts.

'I want to apologise first to Michael Keane,' he wrote on social media. 'I accept complete responsibility for my actions.'

Dressing Room Response

The Senegalese international was unable to secure an chance to converse with Moyes or his teammates at half-time. Afterwards, with the visitors' locker room celebrating after the narrow victory, the veteran asked to address the entire group and the defender specifically.

• Gueye apologized to Keane for striking him across the face
• The intense 13th-minute altercation occurred after a poor distribution in his own penalty area
• He also apologized to the team for leaving them with a monumental task
• Gueye's words were warmly received by the squad

Potential Ramifications

The 36-year-old may yet be punished by Everton despite Moyes' admission that he appreciates 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 this situation.

Suspension and International Duty

The Merseyside club could be without their key player until the January. Gueye will serve a three-game suspension against Newcastle, Bournemouth and Nottingham Forest but might be called up for Africa Cup of Nations responsibilities by his national team before he can return to play against Chelsea on mid-December.

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

Rival Perspective

Meanwhile, the Manchester United defender claimed his team of lacking immediacy in Monday's loss, which ended their winning streak at five games.

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

United head to Selhurst Park for the weekend noon kickoff. 'The next game is really important now,' commented De Ligt. 'We must recover strongly from this display.'