Idrissa Gueye received applause from the Everton squad after personally apologising for the red card he received for slapping teammate Michael Keane during Monday’s 1–0 win at Manchester United.
The midfielder became the first Premier League player in 17 years to be sent off for striking a teammate after a heated exchange with Keane in the 13th minute. The confrontation followed a misplaced pass from Gueye that gifted Bruno Fernandes a chance, prompting the midfielder to lash out. Everton went on to produce a heroic performance with 10 men for 85 minutes, earning David Moyes his first-ever win at Old Trafford as a visiting manager.
Gueye did not speak to Moyes or the squad at half-time, but after the match he asked to address the entire team and Keane directly. He apologised for his actions, acknowledged the challenge he left them with, and thanked them for their resilience. The squad responded with a round of applause.
Despite Moyes joking that he “likes my players fighting each other,” Everton are expected to apply their standard disciplinary process, which includes fines for red cards.
Gueye is now suspended for three matches — against Newcastle, Bournemouth and Nottingham Forest — and may miss further games if called up early for Senegal’s Africa Cup of Nations preparations.
The 36-year-old also apologised publicly on social media, writing: “I take full responsibility for my reaction… Emotions can run high, but nothing justifies such behaviour. I’ll make sure it never happens again.”
