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

Rare Situation in English Football

The midfielder became the initial Premier League player to be sent off for striking a fellow player in 17 years when he struck his defensive colleague during the fixture. The Toffees' performance was remarkable as they competed with a man down for the majority of the game, including added time, to secure David Moyes' first win at Old Trafford as a visiting manager in multiple tries.

'I want to apologise first to Michael Keane,' Gueye stated on his accounts. 'I accept complete responsibility for my actions.'

Team Reaction

Gueye did not get an chance to speak with Moyes or his colleagues at the interval. Afterwards, with the visitors' locker room buzzing after the narrow victory, the veteran requested to speak to the whole team and Keane specifically.

• Gueye apologized to the defender for striking him across the face
• The heated 13th-minute altercation occurred after a poor distribution in his own defensive third
• Additionally he said sorry to the team for leaving them with a difficult challenge
• His apology were positively accepted by the players

Potential Ramifications

The 36-year-old could still be punished by the club despite the manager's admission that he appreciates his players fighting with each other. Moyes has a standard punishment process for red and yellow cards, including fines, which is expected to be applied in Gueye's case.

Ban and National Team Commitments

The Merseyside club may find themselves without their key midfielder until the new year. Gueye will serve a three-game ban against Newcastle, Bournemouth and Nottingham Forest but might be called up for Africa Cup of Nations duty by his national team before he becomes eligible to play against Chelsea on mid-December.

'Passions can sometimes overflow,' he added. 'But nothing justifies such behaviour.'

Rival Perspective

Meanwhile, Mathijs de Ligt accused United of lacking immediacy in Monday's loss, which halted their winning streak at multiple matches.

• 'English football doesn't tolerate weakness,' stated the Netherlands international
• 'We lacked that urgency to score goals,'
• 'When facing sides like Everton,' that defend deep it's difficult

United travel to Crystal Palace for the weekend noon kickoff. 'The next game is really important now,' commented De Ligt. 'We have to bounce back from this performance.'