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Idrissa Gueye received a round of applause from his Everton teammates after issuing an apology for his extraordinary red card during the recent victory at Manchester United.

Rare Situation in Premier League

The midfielder became the initial Premier League player to be sent off for striking a teammate in 17 years when he slapped Michael Keane during the fixture. Everton's display was heroic as they played with 10 men for 85 minutes, including added time, to achieve David Moyes' initial victory at Old Trafford as a away coach in 18 attempts.

'I want to apologise first 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 converse with Moyes or his colleagues at half-time. Afterwards, with the away dressing room celebrating after the narrow victory, the veteran asked to address the entire group and the defender in particular.

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

Possible Consequences

Gueye could still be punished by Everton despite the manager's statement that he likes his players fighting with each other. The Scot has a regular punishment process for red and yellow cards, including fines, which is expected to be implemented in this situation.

Ban and National Team Duty

The Merseyside club could be without their influential midfielder until the January. Gueye will serve a three-match suspension against Newcastle United, Bournemouth and Forest but could be called up for Africa Cup of Nations duty by his national team before he can return to play against the Blues on mid-December.

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

Opposition Perspective

Meanwhile, Mathijs de Ligt claimed his team of showing no immediacy in Monday's defeat, which halted their unbeaten run at multiple matches.

• 'The Premier League is not for the weak,' stated the Dutch defender
• 'We lacked that urgency to score goals,'
• 'When facing sides like Everton,' who drop back it's difficult

The Red Devils head to Selhurst Park for the weekend lunchtime start. 'Our upcoming match is absolutely crucial,' said the defender. 'We have to bounce back from this performance.'