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The Everton midfielder received a warm ovation from his Everton teammates after issuing an explanation for his extraordinary dismissal during the recent victory at Manchester United.

Rare Situation in Premier League

Gueye earned the distinction of being the first Premier League player to be sent off for striking a fellow player in nearly two decades when he struck his defensive colleague during the match. Everton's performance was remarkable as they competed with a man down for 85 minutes, including stoppage time, to secure David Moyes' initial victory at Old Trafford as a visiting manager in multiple tries.

'I want to apologise first to Michael Keane,' he wrote on social media. 'I take full responsibility for my reaction.'

Team Response

Gueye did not get an chance to converse with Moyes or his teammates at the interval. Afterwards, with the visitors' locker room buzzing after the narrow victory, the veteran requested to address the whole team and the defender specifically.

• Gueye apologized to the defender for slapping him across the face
• The heated early altercation occurred after a poor distribution in his own defensive third
• He also apologized to the squad for leaving them with a difficult challenge
• His apology were positively accepted by the players

Possible Consequences

The 36-year-old could still be disciplined by Everton 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 financial penalties, which is expected to be applied in this situation.

Suspension and International Duty

The Merseyside club may find themselves without their key midfielder until the January. The Senegalese international will complete a three-game ban against Newcastle, AFC Bournemouth and Forest but could be selected for AFCON responsibilities by Senegal before he becomes eligible to play against the Blues on mid-December.

'Passions can sometimes overflow,' he added. 'However, there's no excuse for such conduct.'

Rival Perspective

Meanwhile, Mathijs de Ligt claimed his team of showing no urgency in the recent defeat, which ended their winning streak at five games.

• 'The Premier League is not for the weak,' stated the Dutch defender
• 'We were missing the necessary intensity to find the net'
• 'Against a team like Everton,' who drop back it becomes challenging

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