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Idrissa Gueye received a warm ovation from his Everton teammates after delivering an apology for his extraordinary red card during Monday's victory at Old Trafford.

Rare Incident in English Football

Gueye earned the distinction of being the first Premier League player to be sent off for hitting a fellow player in 17 years when he struck Michael Keane during the match. Everton's performance was heroic 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.

'My first apology goes to Michael Keane,' Gueye stated on social media. 'I take full responsibility for my reaction.'

Team Reaction

Gueye was unable to secure an opportunity to converse with the manager or his teammates at the interval. Following the match, with the visitors' locker room celebrating after the narrow victory, the 36-year-old requested to address the entire group and Keane in particular.

• He expressed regret to Keane for striking him across the face
• The intense early confrontation occurred after a misplaced pass in his own defensive third
• He also apologized to the team for putting them with a difficult challenge
• Gueye's words were warmly received by the players

Possible Consequences

The 36-year-old may yet be disciplined by Everton despite the manager's admission that he likes his team members competing with each other. The Scot has a regular punishment process for dismissals and cautions, including fines, which is expected to be applied in Gueye's case.

Suspension and International Duty

Everton may find themselves without their key midfielder until the January. Gueye will complete a three-match ban against Newcastle, AFC Bournemouth and Forest but might be selected for AFCON duty by Senegal before he can return to play against Chelsea on 13 December.

'Passions can sometimes overflow,' he added. 'But nothing justifies such behaviour.'

Opposition Perspective

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

• 'English football doesn't tolerate weakness,' stated the Netherlands international
• 'We lacked that urgency to score goals,'
• 'Against a team like Everton,' who drop back it becomes challenging

The Red Devils travel to Selhurst Park for the weekend noon kickoff. 'Our upcoming match is absolutely crucial,' said the defender. 'We must recover strongly from this display.'