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The Everton midfielder was given a round of applause from his Everton teammates after delivering an explanation for his shocking red card during the recent triumph at Manchester United.

Rare Situation in Premier League

The midfielder earned the distinction of being the initial Premier League player to be dismissed for striking a teammate in nearly two decades when he struck his defensive colleague during the match. The Toffees' display was remarkable as they played with 10 men for 85 minutes, including added time, to achieve David Moyes' first win at Old Trafford as a visiting manager in multiple tries.

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

Dressing Room Reaction

Gueye was unable to secure an chance to converse with the manager or his colleagues at the interval. Following the match, with the away dressing room buzzing after the 1-0 win, the veteran asked to speak to the entire group and the defender in particular.

• Gueye apologized to Keane for slapping him across the face
• The heated early altercation occurred after a poor distribution in his own defensive third
• He also said sorry to the squad for leaving them with a monumental task
• His apology were positively accepted by the players

Potential Consequences

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 red and yellow cards, including financial penalties, which is expected to be applied in this situation.

Ban and International Duty

Everton may find themselves without their key player until the January. Gueye will complete a three-match suspension against Newcastle, Bournemouth and Forest but could be called up for Africa Cup of Nations responsibilities 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 Reaction

Meanwhile, the Manchester United defender claimed his team of showing no urgency in the recent defeat, which ended their unbeaten run at five games.

• 'English football doesn't tolerate weakness,' said the Netherlands international
• 'We were missing the necessary intensity to find the net'
• 'Against a team like Everton,' who drop back it becomes challenging

The Red Devils travel to Selhurst Park for the weekend lunchtime start. 'The next game is really important now,' said the defender. 'We have to bounce back from this performance.'