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

Unprecedented Incident in English Football

Gueye earned the distinction of being the first Premier League player to be dismissed for hitting a teammate in nearly two decades when he struck his defensive colleague during the fixture. The Toffees' display was remarkable as they played with a man down for the majority of the game, including added time, to secure David Moyes' first win at Old Trafford as a visiting manager in multiple tries.

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

Dressing Room Response

Gueye did not get an opportunity to speak with the manager or his colleagues at the interval. Afterwards, with the visitors' locker room buzzing after the 1-0 win, the veteran asked to speak to the whole team and the defender in particular.

• Gueye apologized to the defender for slapping him across the head
• The heated 13th-minute confrontation occurred after a poor distribution in his own defensive third
• He also said sorry to the team for leaving them with a difficult challenge
• Gueye's words were warmly received by the squad

Possible Consequences

The 36-year-old could still be disciplined by Everton despite the manager's statement that he appreciates his players fighting with each other. The Scot has a regular punishment process for dismissals and cautions, including financial penalties, which is expected to be applied in Gueye's case.

Suspension and International Commitments

The Merseyside club could be without their key midfielder until the new year. The Senegalese international will serve a three-game suspension against Newcastle, AFC Bournemouth and Nottingham Forest but could be selected 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 Perspective

At the same time, Mathijs de Ligt claimed United of showing no immediacy in Monday's defeat, which ended their winning streak at five games.

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

United travel to Crystal Palace for Sunday's lunchtime start. 'The next game is really important now,' said the defender. 'We must recover strongly from this display.'