Toffees Squad Members Applaud Idrissa Gueye After Sincere Apology for Michael Keane Incident
The Everton midfielder was given a warm ovation from his Everton teammates after delivering an apology for his shocking dismissal during the recent victory at Old Trafford.
Rare Incident in Premier League
Gueye earned the distinction of being the initial Premier League player to be dismissed for striking a fellow player in 17 years when he slapped his defensive colleague during the match. The Toffees' display was heroic as they played with 10 men for 85 minutes, including stoppage time, to achieve David Moyes' initial victory at Old Trafford as a visiting manager in multiple tries.
'I want to apologise first to Michael Keane,' he wrote on his accounts. 'I accept complete responsibility for my actions.'
Team Reaction
Gueye did not get an chance to speak with the manager or his teammates at half-time. Afterwards, with the visitors' locker room buzzing after the narrow victory, the 36-year-old asked to speak to the entire group and Keane specifically.
- Gueye apologized to Keane for slapping him across the face
- The heated early altercation occurred after a poor distribution in his own penalty area
- He also apologized to the squad for putting them with a monumental task
- Gueye's words were positively accepted by the squad
Potential Consequences
The 36-year-old may yet be disciplined by the club despite Moyes' admission that he likes his players competing with each other. Moyes has a regular disciplinary procedure for red and yellow cards, including fines, which is likely to be applied in this situation.
Ban and National Team Commitments
Everton could be without their influential midfielder until the January. The Senegalese international will serve a three-match ban against Newcastle, AFC Bournemouth and Forest but might be called up for AFCON duty by Senegal 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.'
Rival Perspective
Meanwhile, Mathijs de Ligt accused United of showing no immediacy in the recent defeat, which halted their winning streak at five games.
- 'The Premier League is not for the weak,' stated the Netherlands international
- 'We were missing the necessary intensity to find the net'
- '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 De Ligt. 'We have to bounce back from this performance.'
