Everton Teammates Give Applause to Gueye Following Sincere Apology for Keane Slap

Idrissa Gueye received a round of applause from his fellow squad members after issuing an apology for his extraordinary red card during Monday's triumph at Manchester United.

Rare Incident in English Football

The midfielder earned the distinction of being the first Premier League player to be sent off for hitting a teammate in 17 years when he struck Michael Keane during the fixture. Everton's performance was heroic as they played with a man down for the majority of the game, including stoppage time, to secure David Moyes' initial victory at Old Trafford as a visiting manager in multiple tries.

'My first apology goes to Michael Keane,' he wrote on his accounts. 'I take full responsibility for my reaction.'

Dressing Room Response

Gueye did not get an opportunity to converse with the manager or his colleagues at half-time. Following the match, with the away dressing room buzzing after the 1-0 win, the 36-year-old requested to address the whole team and Keane in particular.

• Gueye apologized to the defender for striking him across the face
• The intense early altercation occurred after a misplaced pass in his own penalty area
• He also apologized to the team for putting them with a monumental task
• Gueye's words were positively accepted by the players

Potential Ramifications

Gueye may yet be disciplined by the club despite Moyes' statement that he appreciates his team members competing with each other. Moyes has a regular disciplinary procedure for dismissals and cautions, including financial penalties, which is likely to be applied in Gueye's case.

Ban and International Commitments

The Merseyside club may find themselves without their influential player until the new year. The Senegalese international will complete a three-match suspension against Newcastle United, AFC Bournemouth and Forest but might be selected for Africa Cup of Nations duty by Senegal before he can return to play against the Blues on 13 December.

'Passions can sometimes overflow,' he added. 'However, there's no excuse for such conduct.'

Opposition Reaction

At the same time, Mathijs de Ligt claimed his team 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 were missing the necessary intensity to find the net'
• 'Against a team like Everton,' who drop back it's difficult

The Red Devils head to Selhurst Park for Sunday's lunchtime start. 'The next game is really important now,' said the defender. 'We must recover strongly from this display.'