Toffees Teammates Give Applause to Gueye After Apology for Keane Incident

Idrissa Gueye received a warm ovation from his fellow squad members after issuing an apology for his extraordinary red card during the recent triumph at Old Trafford.

Rare Incident in Premier League

The midfielder became the first Premier League player to be dismissed for striking a teammate in 17 years when he struck Michael Keane during the fixture. The Toffees' display was remarkable as they competed with 10 men for 85 minutes, 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,' Gueye stated on his accounts. 'I accept complete responsibility for my actions.'

Team Reaction

Gueye was unable to secure an chance to converse with the manager or his colleagues at half-time. Following the match, with the away dressing room celebrating after the narrow victory, the 36-year-old asked to address the entire group and the defender in particular.

• Gueye apologized to Keane for striking him across the face
• The heated early altercation occurred after a poor distribution in his own penalty area
• He also said sorry to the team for leaving them with a difficult challenge
• His apology 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 appreciates his players competing with each other. Moyes has a regular disciplinary procedure for dismissals and cautions, including fines, which is likely to be implemented in this situation.

Ban and National Team Commitments

Everton may find themselves without their influential midfielder until the January. Gueye will serve a three-match ban against Newcastle, AFC Bournemouth and Nottingham Forest but might be called up 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. 'But nothing justifies such behaviour.'

Rival Reaction

At the same time, Mathijs de Ligt claimed his team of lacking urgency in the recent loss, which ended their winning streak at five games.

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

The Red Devils travel to Crystal Palace for the weekend lunchtime start. 'Our upcoming match is absolutely crucial,' said the defender. 'We have to bounce back from this performance.'