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Idrissa Gueye received a warm ovation from his fellow squad members after issuing an apology for his shocking dismissal during the recent victory at Old Trafford.

Rare Incident in English Football

The midfielder became the first Premier League player to be sent off for striking a fellow player in 17 years when he slapped his defensive colleague during the match. Everton's display was remarkable as they played with a man down for 85 minutes, including added time, to achieve 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 accept complete responsibility for my actions.'

Dressing Room Reaction

The Senegalese international was unable to secure an chance to speak with the manager or his colleagues at the interval. Following the match, with the away dressing room celebrating after the 1-0 win, the veteran requested to address the whole team and Keane in particular.

• Gueye apologized to the defender for striking him across the head
• The intense 13th-minute confrontation occurred after a poor distribution in his own penalty area
• He also said sorry to the team for leaving them with a monumental task
• His apology were positively accepted by the squad

Potential Consequences

Gueye may yet be punished by Everton despite Moyes' admission that he likes his players competing with each other. Moyes has a regular punishment process for red and yellow cards, including fines, which is likely to be applied in this situation.

Suspension and National Team Commitments

Everton could be without their key midfielder until the January. Gueye will complete a three-match suspension against Newcastle, Bournemouth and Forest but could be called up for AFCON duty by his national team before he becomes eligible to play against Chelsea on mid-December.

'Emotions can run high,' Gueye continued. 'But nothing justifies such behaviour.'

Opposition Reaction

Meanwhile, Mathijs de Ligt accused United of lacking immediacy in the recent defeat, which ended their winning streak at five games.

• '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's difficult

United head to Crystal Palace for Sunday's noon kickoff. 'The next game is really important now,' said De Ligt. 'We must recover strongly from this display.'