Toffees Squad Members Applaud Idrissa Gueye After Sincere Apology for Keane Slap

The Everton midfielder received a warm ovation from his fellow squad members after issuing an apology for his extraordinary dismissal during the recent victory at Old Trafford.

Unprecedented Incident in English Football

Gueye earned the distinction of being the first Premier League player to be dismissed for hitting a teammate in 17 years when he slapped his defensive colleague during the fixture. The Toffees' display was remarkable as they played with a man down for 85 minutes, including stoppage time, to achieve David Moyes' initial victory at Old Trafford as a visiting manager in multiple tries.

'My first apology goes to Michael Keane,' he wrote on his accounts. 'I take full responsibility for my reaction.'

Team Reaction

The Senegalese international was unable to secure an opportunity to speak with Moyes or his colleagues at half-time. Afterwards, with the visitors' locker room buzzing after the narrow victory, the 36-year-old requested to speak to the entire group and the defender in particular.

• Gueye apologized to the defender for slapping him across the face
• The heated early confrontation occurred after a poor distribution in his own defensive third
• Additionally he said sorry to the team for leaving them with a difficult challenge
• His apology were warmly received by the squad

Possible Ramifications

The 36-year-old may yet be punished by the club despite Moyes' admission that he appreciates his players competing with each other. Moyes has a standard punishment process for red and yellow cards, including financial penalties, which is expected to be implemented in Gueye's case.

Ban and International Duty

Everton may find themselves without their key midfielder until the new year. Gueye will serve a three-game ban against Newcastle United, Bournemouth and Nottingham Forest but might be selected for Africa Cup of Nations responsibilities by his national team before he becomes eligible to play against the Blues on 13 December.

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

Opposition Perspective

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

• 'English football doesn't tolerate weakness,' stated the Dutch defender
• 'We were missing the necessary intensity to find the net'
• 'Against a team like Everton,' that defend deep it's difficult

The Red Devils travel to Crystal Palace for the weekend lunchtime start. 'The next game is really important now,' commented the defender. 'We have to bounce back from this performance.'