Toffees Teammates Applaud Idrissa Gueye Following Apology for Michael Keane Slap
The Everton midfielder received a warm ovation from his Everton teammates after delivering an apology for his shocking red card during the recent victory at Manchester United.
Unprecedented Incident in Premier League
Gueye became the first Premier League player to be dismissed for hitting a fellow player in nearly two decades when he slapped his defensive colleague during the match. Everton's performance was remarkable as they played with a man down for 85 minutes, including stoppage time, to secure David Moyes' initial victory at Old Trafford as a away coach in 18 attempts.
'My first apology goes to Michael Keane,' he wrote on his accounts. 'I take full responsibility for my reaction.'
Dressing Room Reaction
Gueye was unable to secure an opportunity to converse with the manager or his teammates at half-time. Following the match, with the visitors' locker room celebrating after the narrow victory, the veteran requested to speak to the entire group and Keane in particular.
- Gueye apologized to the defender for striking him across the face
- The heated 13th-minute confrontation occurred after a misplaced pass in his own penalty area
- He also apologized to the squad for putting them with a difficult challenge
- His apology were positively accepted by the players
Potential Consequences
Gueye could still be disciplined by the club despite Moyes' admission that he likes his team members fighting with each other. Moyes has a regular punishment process for red and yellow cards, including fines, which is likely to be applied in Gueye's case.
Ban and International Commitments
Everton may find themselves without their key midfielder until the January. The Senegalese international will serve a three-match suspension against Newcastle United, Bournemouth and Forest but might be selected for AFCON duty by his national team before he can return to play against Chelsea on mid-December.
'Emotions can run high,' he added. 'However, there's no excuse for such conduct.'
Rival Perspective
Meanwhile, Mathijs de Ligt claimed United of lacking immediacy in Monday's defeat, which ended their winning streak at five games.
- 'The Premier League is not for the weak,' said the Dutch defender
- 'We lacked that urgency to score goals,'
- 'When facing sides like Everton,' who drop back it becomes challenging
The Red Devils head to Crystal Palace for Sunday's lunchtime start. 'The next game is really important now,' said the defender. 'We must recover strongly from this display.'