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Idrissa Gueye was given a warm ovation from his Everton teammates after delivering an apology for his shocking red card during the recent triumph at Manchester United.

Rare Incident in Premier League

Gueye became the initial Premier League player to be sent off for hitting a teammate in nearly two decades when he struck his defensive colleague during the match. The Toffees' display was remarkable as they competed with a man down for the majority of the game, including stoppage time, to secure David Moyes' initial victory at Old Trafford as a visiting manager in 18 attempts.

'My first apology goes to Michael Keane,' he wrote on social media. 'I accept complete responsibility for my actions.'

Dressing Room Response

The Senegalese international did not get an chance to speak with the manager or his colleagues at the interval. Afterwards, with the visitors' locker room celebrating after the narrow victory, the veteran requested to speak to the entire group and Keane specifically.

• He expressed regret to the defender for striking him across the head
• The heated early altercation occurred after a poor distribution in his own defensive third
• He also apologized to the squad for putting them with a difficult challenge
• Gueye's words were warmly received by the squad

Potential Ramifications

Gueye could still be punished by Everton despite Moyes' admission that he likes his players competing with each other. Moyes has a regular disciplinary procedure for red and yellow cards, including financial penalties, which is expected to be implemented in this situation.

Suspension and National Team Commitments

The Merseyside club may find themselves without their influential midfielder until the January. Gueye will serve a three-match ban against Newcastle, Bournemouth and Nottingham Forest but could be called up for Africa Cup of Nations responsibilities by Senegal before he can return to play against the Blues on 13 December.

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

Rival Perspective

Meanwhile, the Manchester United defender claimed his team of lacking immediacy in Monday's defeat, which halted their unbeaten run at multiple matches.

• 'The Premier League is not for the weak,' said 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 Crystal Palace for the weekend lunchtime start. 'The next game is really important now,' commented the defender. 'We must recover strongly from this display.'