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Idrissa Gueye received a round of applause from his Everton teammates after delivering an apology for his shocking dismissal during the recent victory at Old Trafford.

Rare Situation in Premier League

Gueye earned the distinction of being the initial Premier League player to be sent off for hitting a teammate in 17 years when he struck Michael Keane during the match. Everton's display was remarkable as they played with a man down for 85 minutes, including added time, to secure David Moyes' initial victory at Old Trafford as a visiting manager in 18 attempts.

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

Dressing Room Reaction

Gueye did not get an chance to converse with Moyes or his teammates at the interval. Afterwards, with the visitors' locker room buzzing after the narrow victory, the veteran asked to address the entire group and Keane specifically.

• He expressed regret to the defender for slapping him across the head
• The intense early confrontation occurred after a poor distribution in his own defensive third
• Additionally he apologized to the team for putting them with a monumental task
• Gueye's words were warmly received by the players

Possible Ramifications

The 36-year-old could still be punished by Everton despite the manager's statement that he likes his team members fighting with each other. Moyes has a standard punishment process for red and yellow cards, including fines, which is expected to be applied in this situation.

Ban and National Team Duty

Everton may find themselves without their influential player until the new year. The Senegalese international will serve a three-game ban against Newcastle, Bournemouth and Forest but could be called up for AFCON duty by his national team before he becomes eligible to play against the Blues on mid-December.

'Emotions can run high,' Gueye continued. 'However, there's no excuse for such conduct.'

Opposition Reaction

At the same time, Mathijs de Ligt claimed his team of lacking immediacy in Monday's defeat, which ended their winning streak at multiple matches.

• 'English football doesn't tolerate weakness,' stated the Netherlands international
• 'We lacked that urgency to score goals,'
• 'When facing sides like Everton,' that defend deep it's difficult

United head to Crystal Palace for Sunday's lunchtime start. 'The next game is really important now,' said De Ligt. 'We have to bounce back from this performance.'