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The Everton midfielder was given a round of applause from his Everton teammates after delivering an apology for his extraordinary dismissal during Monday's triumph 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 performance was heroic as they played with 10 men for 85 minutes, including stoppage time, to achieve David Moyes' first win at Old Trafford as a visiting manager in 18 attempts.

'I want to apologise first to Michael Keane,' Gueye stated on his accounts. 'I take full responsibility for my reaction.'

Team Reaction

The Senegalese international was unable to secure an chance to converse with the manager or his teammates at half-time. Following the match, with the visitors' locker room buzzing after the narrow victory, the veteran asked to address the whole team and Keane specifically.

• Gueye apologized to Keane for striking him across the head
• The intense early confrontation occurred after a misplaced pass in his own penalty area
• Additionally he apologized to the team for leaving them with a difficult challenge
• Gueye's words were positively accepted by the players

Possible Ramifications

Gueye could still be disciplined by the club despite the manager's admission that he appreciates his players fighting with each other. The Scot has a regular punishment process for red and yellow cards, including financial penalties, which is likely to be applied in this situation.

Suspension and International Duty

The Merseyside club could be without their influential midfielder until the new year. Gueye will complete a three-match ban against Newcastle, AFC Bournemouth and Nottingham Forest but might be selected for Africa Cup of Nations duty by Senegal before he can return to play against Chelsea on mid-December.

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

Opposition Reaction

At the same time, the Manchester United defender accused his team of lacking urgency in the recent defeat, which ended their winning streak at five games.

• 'The Premier League is not for the weak,' said the Dutch defender
• 'We lacked that urgency to score goals,'
• 'Against a team like Everton,' that defend deep it becomes challenging

The Red Devils head to Selhurst Park for Sunday's lunchtime start. 'Our upcoming match is absolutely crucial,' commented the defender. 'We must recover strongly from this display.'