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

Rare Incident in English Football

Gueye became the initial Premier League player to be dismissed for striking a teammate in 17 years when he slapped his defensive colleague during the fixture. The Toffees' performance was remarkable as they played with 10 men for 85 minutes, including stoppage time, to achieve David Moyes' first win at Old Trafford as a away coach in multiple tries.

'My first apology goes to Michael Keane,' he wrote on social media. 'I accept complete responsibility for my actions.'

Dressing Room Reaction

Gueye was unable to secure an opportunity to speak with the manager or his colleagues at half-time. Afterwards, with the away dressing room celebrating after the 1-0 win, the veteran asked to address the whole team and Keane in particular.

• Gueye apologized to Keane for striking him across the head
• The heated early confrontation occurred after a misplaced pass in his own penalty area
• He also said sorry to the squad for putting them with a difficult challenge
• His apology were positively accepted by the players

Possible Ramifications

Gueye could still be punished by Everton despite the manager's statement that he appreciates his team members competing with each other. Moyes has a standard disciplinary procedure for red and yellow cards, including financial penalties, which is expected to be implemented in this situation.

Ban and National Team Duty

Everton could be without their key player until the January. Gueye will serve a three-game ban against Newcastle, AFC Bournemouth and Nottingham Forest but could be selected for Africa Cup of Nations duty by his national team before he becomes eligible to play against Chelsea on mid-December.

'Emotions can run high,' he added. 'But nothing justifies such behaviour.'

Opposition Perspective

At the same time, Mathijs de Ligt accused his team of lacking urgency in Monday's 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,' that defend deep it's difficult

The Red Devils head to Selhurst Park for Sunday's noon kickoff. 'Our upcoming match is absolutely crucial,' commented De Ligt. 'We must recover strongly from this display.'