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Idrissa Gueye was given a round of applause from his Everton teammates after issuing an explanation for his shocking red card during the recent triumph at Manchester United.

Unprecedented Situation in English Football

Gueye earned the distinction of being 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 performance was heroic as they competed with 10 men for 85 minutes, including added time, to secure David Moyes' initial victory at Old Trafford as a away coach in multiple tries.

'I want to apologise first to Michael Keane,' Gueye stated on his accounts. 'I accept complete responsibility for my actions.'

Dressing Room Response

The Senegalese international was unable to secure an chance to converse with the manager or his colleagues at half-time. Following the match, with the visitors' locker room celebrating after the 1-0 win, the 36-year-old asked to address the entire group and the defender in particular.

• Gueye apologized to Keane for striking him across the head
• The intense 13th-minute confrontation occurred after a poor distribution in his own defensive third
• Additionally he said sorry to the squad for putting them with a difficult challenge
• His apology were positively accepted by the players

Potential Consequences

Gueye could still be punished by Everton despite Moyes' statement that he likes his team members competing with each other. The Scot has a regular punishment process for dismissals and cautions, including fines, which is expected to be implemented in Gueye's case.

Ban and International Commitments

The Merseyside club may find themselves without their key player until the new year. The Senegalese international will serve a three-game suspension against Newcastle United, AFC Bournemouth and Nottingham Forest but could be called up for AFCON duty by Senegal before he becomes eligible to play against Chelsea on mid-December.

'Passions can sometimes overflow,' he added. 'But nothing justifies such behaviour.'

Opposition Perspective

At the same time, Mathijs de Ligt accused his team of lacking immediacy in the recent defeat, which ended their winning streak at five games.

• 'English football doesn't tolerate weakness,' said the Netherlands international
• 'We lacked that urgency to score goals,'
• 'Against a team like Everton,' that defend deep it becomes challenging

United travel to Crystal Palace for Sunday's noon kickoff. 'The next game is really important now,' commented the defender. 'We have to bounce back from this performance.'