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The Everton midfielder was given a warm ovation from his Everton teammates after delivering an apology for his extraordinary dismissal during Monday's triumph at Old Trafford.

Rare Incident in English Football

The midfielder became the first Premier League player to be dismissed for hitting a teammate in 17 years when he struck his defensive colleague during the fixture. Everton's performance was remarkable as they played with a man down for the majority of the game, including added time, to secure David Moyes' initial victory at Old Trafford as a visiting manager in multiple tries.

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

Dressing Room Response

The Senegalese international did not get an chance to converse with the manager or his colleagues at half-time. Following the match, with the away dressing room celebrating after the narrow victory, the veteran asked to address the whole team and the defender specifically.

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

Possible Consequences

The 36-year-old may yet be disciplined by the club despite Moyes' statement that he appreciates his players fighting with each other. Moyes has a standard disciplinary procedure for red and yellow cards, including financial penalties, which is likely to be applied in this situation.

Suspension and National Team Duty

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

'Passions can sometimes overflow,' Gueye continued. 'However, there's no excuse for such conduct.'

Rival Perspective

At the same time, Mathijs de Ligt accused his team of showing no urgency in the recent defeat, which ended their unbeaten run at multiple matches.

• 'English football doesn't tolerate weakness,' stated the Netherlands international
• 'We were missing the necessary intensity to find the net'
• 'Against a team like Everton,' that defend deep it's difficult

The Red Devils head to Crystal Palace for Sunday's noon kickoff. 'The next game is really important now,' said De Ligt. 'We must recover strongly from this display.'