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Idrissa Gueye was given a warm ovation from his Everton teammates after issuing an explanation for his extraordinary dismissal during the recent victory at Old Trafford.

Unprecedented Incident in Premier League

Gueye earned the distinction of being the initial Premier League player to be dismissed for hitting a teammate in 17 years when he slapped his defensive colleague during the match. Everton's display was remarkable as they competed with a man down for 85 minutes, including added 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 social media. 'I take full responsibility for my reaction.'

Dressing Room Response

Gueye was unable to secure an chance to speak with the manager or his colleagues at half-time. Following the match, with the away dressing room buzzing after the narrow victory, the 36-year-old requested to speak to the whole team and the defender specifically.

• Gueye apologized to the defender for slapping him across the face
• The heated early confrontation occurred after a poor distribution in his own penalty area
• He also said sorry to the team for putting them with a difficult challenge
• His apology were warmly received by the squad

Potential Consequences

The 36-year-old may yet be punished by Everton despite the manager's statement that he appreciates his team members fighting with each other. The Scot has a standard punishment process for red and yellow cards, including fines, which is likely to be applied in Gueye's case.

Ban and National Team Duty

The Merseyside club may find themselves without their influential player until the new year. Gueye will complete a three-game suspension against Newcastle United, Bournemouth and Forest but could be selected for AFCON duty by Senegal before he becomes eligible to play against Chelsea on mid-December.

'Emotions can run high,' he added. 'But nothing justifies such behaviour.'

Rival Reaction

At the same time, the Manchester United defender claimed his team of showing no immediacy in the recent loss, which halted their winning streak at multiple matches.

• 'The Premier League is not for the weak,' stated the Dutch defender
• 'We lacked that urgency to score goals,'
• '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,' said the defender. 'We have to bounce back from this performance.'