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The Everton midfielder was given a warm ovation from his fellow squad members after issuing an apology for his extraordinary dismissal during Monday's victory at Old Trafford.

Rare Situation in English Football

Gueye became the initial Premier League player to be dismissed for striking a fellow player in nearly two decades when he slapped his defensive colleague during the fixture. Everton's performance was remarkable as they played with a man down for the majority of the game, 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.'

Dressing Room Reaction

Gueye did not get an opportunity to speak with the manager or his teammates at half-time. Afterwards, with the visitors' locker room celebrating after the narrow victory, the 36-year-old asked to address the whole team and Keane specifically.

• Gueye apologized to Keane for striking him across the head
• The heated 13th-minute confrontation occurred after a poor distribution in his own penalty area
• He also apologized to the squad for putting them with a monumental task
• His apology were positively accepted by the players

Possible Ramifications

Gueye may yet be punished by the club despite the manager's statement that he likes his team members competing with each other. Moyes has a regular punishment process for red and yellow cards, including financial penalties, which is expected to be applied in this situation.

Suspension and National Team Duty

Everton could be without their influential midfielder until the new year. Gueye will complete a three-game suspension against Newcastle United, Bournemouth and Forest but might be selected for Africa Cup of Nations responsibilities by his national team before he can return to play against Chelsea on mid-December.

'Passions can sometimes overflow,' Gueye continued. 'However, there's no excuse for such conduct.'

Opposition Reaction

At the same time, the Manchester United defender claimed his team of showing no immediacy in Monday's loss, which halted their winning streak at five games.

• 'English football doesn't tolerate weakness,' said the Dutch defender
• 'We lacked that urgency to score goals,'
• 'When facing sides like Everton,' who drop back it's difficult

The Red Devils travel to Selhurst Park for the weekend noon kickoff. 'Our upcoming match is absolutely crucial,' commented De Ligt. 'We have to bounce back from this performance.'