Toffees Teammates Give Applause to Gueye After Sincere Apology for Keane Incident

The Everton midfielder received a round of applause from his fellow squad members after issuing an apology for his extraordinary dismissal during Monday's triumph at Old Trafford.

Unprecedented Situation in Premier League

Gueye became the first Premier League player to be dismissed for striking a fellow player in 17 years when he slapped his defensive colleague during the fixture. The Toffees' display was remarkable as they competed with a man down for the majority of the game, 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 his accounts. 'I accept complete responsibility for my actions.'

Team Reaction

The Senegalese international did not get an chance to converse with Moyes or his teammates at the interval. Afterwards, with the away dressing room buzzing after the 1-0 win, the 36-year-old requested to address the whole team and the defender in particular.

• Gueye apologized to Keane for striking him across the head
• The intense 13th-minute confrontation occurred after a misplaced pass in his own defensive third
• Additionally he said sorry to the squad for leaving them with a difficult challenge
• Gueye's words were positively accepted by the players

Potential Consequences

Gueye may yet be punished by the club despite Moyes' statement that he likes his team members competing with each other. Moyes has a standard disciplinary procedure for red and yellow cards, including financial penalties, which is expected to be applied in this situation.

Suspension and National Team Commitments

Everton could be without their influential midfielder until the new year. Gueye will complete a three-game ban against Newcastle, AFC Bournemouth and Forest but could be called up for Africa Cup of Nations duty by his national team before he becomes eligible to play against the Blues on 13 December.

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

Opposition Reaction

At the same time, Mathijs de Ligt claimed United of showing no immediacy in the recent defeat, which halted their unbeaten run at multiple matches.

• 'English football doesn't tolerate weakness,' said the Dutch defender
• 'We were missing the necessary intensity to find the net'
• 'Against a team like Everton,' who drop back it becomes challenging

United travel to Crystal Palace for Sunday's noon kickoff. 'The next game is really important now,' commented the defender. 'We have to bounce back from this performance.'