Toffees Teammates Give Applause to Idrissa Gueye Following Apology for Keane Incident
Idrissa Gueye received a round of applause from his fellow squad members after issuing an apology for his shocking dismissal during Monday's victory at Manchester United.
Rare Situation in Premier League
Gueye became the first Premier League player to be dismissed for striking a teammate in nearly two decades when he slapped Michael Keane during the fixture. The Toffees' performance was remarkable as they competed with 10 men for 85 minutes, including added time, to secure David Moyes' first win at Old Trafford as a visiting manager in multiple tries.
'My first apology goes to Michael Keane,' Gueye stated on social media. 'I accept complete responsibility for my actions.'
Dressing Room Response
Gueye did not get an chance to speak with the manager or his teammates at the interval. Afterwards, with the away dressing room buzzing after the 1-0 win, the veteran requested to address the whole team and the defender in particular.
- He expressed regret to Keane for slapping him across the face
- The intense early altercation occurred after a misplaced pass in his own defensive third
- He also said sorry to the team for putting them with a monumental task
- Gueye's words were positively accepted by the players
Potential Consequences
Gueye may yet be disciplined by Everton despite Moyes' statement that he likes his players fighting with each other. Moyes has a standard punishment process for dismissals and cautions, including fines, which is expected to be applied in this situation.
Ban and National Team Duty
Everton could be without their key midfielder until the January. The Senegalese international will serve a three-match ban against Newcastle, Bournemouth and Nottingham Forest but could be called up for Africa Cup of Nations duty by Senegal before he can return to play against the Blues on 13 December.
'Emotions can run high,' Gueye continued. 'However, there's no excuse for such conduct.'
Rival Perspective
At the same time, Mathijs de Ligt claimed his team of showing no urgency in Monday's defeat, 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,' who drop back it becomes challenging
The Red Devils head to Crystal Palace for the weekend noon kickoff. 'Our upcoming match is absolutely crucial,' said the defender. 'We must recover strongly from this display.'