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The Everton midfielder was given a round of applause from his fellow squad members after delivering an explanation for his extraordinary red card during the recent victory at Old Trafford.

Rare 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 match. The Toffees' display was remarkable as they played with 10 men for 85 minutes, including added time, to secure David Moyes' initial victory at Old Trafford as a visiting manager in 18 attempts.

'My first apology goes to Michael Keane,' Gueye stated on his accounts. 'I accept complete responsibility for my actions.'

Dressing Room Reaction

Gueye did not get an opportunity to converse with the manager or his teammates at the interval. Following the match, with the visitors' locker room buzzing after the narrow victory, the veteran asked to speak to the entire group and Keane in particular.

• He expressed regret to the defender for slapping him across the head
• The heated 13th-minute altercation occurred after a poor distribution in his own defensive third
• He also said sorry to the team for leaving them with a monumental task
• Gueye's words were positively accepted by the players

Potential Ramifications

Gueye could still be disciplined by Everton despite the manager's admission that he likes his team members competing with each other. The Scot has a standard disciplinary procedure for dismissals and cautions, including fines, which is expected to be applied in this situation.

Ban and National Team Duty

The Merseyside club could be without their key player until the January. The Senegalese international will serve a three-match suspension against Newcastle United, Bournemouth and Forest but might be called up for Africa Cup of Nations duty by Senegal before he becomes eligible to play against Chelsea on mid-December.

'Passions can sometimes overflow,' Gueye continued. 'But nothing justifies such behaviour.'

Rival Reaction

At the same time, the Manchester United defender accused United of showing no urgency in Monday's loss, which halted their unbeaten run at multiple matches.

• 'English football doesn't tolerate weakness,' said the Dutch defender
• 'We were missing the necessary intensity to find the net'
• 'When facing sides like Everton,' that defend deep it's difficult

United travel to Selhurst Park for Sunday's noon kickoff. 'The next game is really important now,' commented the defender. 'We must recover strongly from this display.'