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Idrissa Gueye received a round of applause from his Everton teammates after issuing an explanation for his shocking red card during Monday's triumph at Old Trafford.

Rare Incident in English Football

The midfielder became the first Premier League player to be dismissed for striking a teammate in 17 years when he slapped his defensive colleague during the match. The Toffees' display was heroic as they competed with 10 men for 85 minutes, including stoppage time, to secure David Moyes' first win at Old Trafford as a away coach in 18 attempts.

'My first apology goes to Michael Keane,' he wrote on his accounts. 'I accept complete responsibility for my actions.'

Team Reaction

Gueye was unable to secure an opportunity to speak with Moyes or his teammates at half-time. Afterwards, with the visitors' locker room buzzing after the 1-0 win, the veteran requested to speak to the whole team and the defender in particular.

• Gueye apologized to the defender for slapping him across the head
• The heated early altercation occurred after a misplaced pass in his own defensive third
• Additionally he apologized to the squad for putting them with a monumental task
• Gueye's words were warmly received by the squad

Possible Ramifications

The 36-year-old could still be disciplined by the club despite the manager's admission that he likes his team members competing with each other. Moyes has a regular disciplinary procedure for dismissals and cautions, including fines, which is likely to be applied in this situation.

Suspension and National Team Duty

The Merseyside club could be without their key player until the January. The Senegalese international will serve a three-match ban against Newcastle United, Bournemouth and Nottingham Forest but could be called up for AFCON responsibilities by his national team before he becomes eligible to play against the Blues on mid-December.

'Emotions can run high,' Gueye continued. 'But nothing justifies such behaviour.'

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,' said 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 the weekend noon kickoff. 'The next game is really important now,' commented De Ligt. 'We must recover strongly from this display.'