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Idrissa Gueye was given a round of applause from his fellow squad members after delivering an apology for his extraordinary red card during the recent victory at Manchester United.

Unprecedented Situation in Premier League

Gueye earned the distinction of being the first Premier League player to be dismissed for striking a teammate in 17 years when he struck Michael Keane during the fixture. The Toffees' performance was remarkable as they competed with a man down for 85 minutes, including stoppage time, to achieve David Moyes' initial victory at Old Trafford as a visiting manager in 18 attempts.

'My first apology goes to Michael Keane,' he wrote on his accounts. 'I take full responsibility for my reaction.'

Dressing Room Reaction

Gueye did not get an chance to converse with Moyes or his teammates at half-time. Following the match, with the visitors' locker room celebrating after the narrow victory, the veteran asked to speak to the whole team and Keane in particular.

• He expressed regret to Keane for slapping him across the face
• The heated early confrontation occurred after a poor distribution in his own penalty area
• Additionally he said sorry to the squad for putting them with a difficult challenge
• His apology were positively accepted by the players

Potential Ramifications

The 36-year-old may yet be punished by Everton despite Moyes' admission that he appreciates his team members competing with each other. The Scot has a standard punishment process for dismissals and cautions, including fines, which is expected to be applied in this situation.

Ban and National Team Duty

The Merseyside club may find themselves without their key midfielder until the new year. Gueye will serve a three-match suspension against Newcastle, Bournemouth and Nottingham Forest but could be selected for Africa Cup of Nations duty by his national team before he can return to play against the Blues on 13 December.

'Emotions can run high,' he added. 'However, there's no excuse for such conduct.'

Opposition Perspective

At the same time, the Manchester United defender claimed his team of showing no urgency in Monday's loss, which ended their unbeaten run at five games.

• 'The Premier League is not for the weak,' stated the Dutch defender
• 'We were missing the necessary intensity to find the net'
• 'Against a team like Everton,' that defend deep it's difficult

The Red Devils 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.'