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The Everton midfielder received a round of applause from his Everton teammates after delivering an explanation for his shocking dismissal during Monday's triumph at Old Trafford.

Rare Incident in Premier League

Gueye earned the distinction of being the initial Premier League player to be sent off for striking a teammate in nearly two decades when he struck Michael Keane during the fixture. The Toffees' performance was heroic as they competed with 10 men for 85 minutes, including stoppage time, to achieve David Moyes' initial victory at Old Trafford as a visiting manager in multiple tries.

'I want to apologise first to Michael Keane,' he wrote on his accounts. 'I take full responsibility for my reaction.'

Dressing Room Reaction

The Senegalese international was unable to secure an opportunity to speak with Moyes or his colleagues at the interval. Afterwards, with the visitors' locker room celebrating after the narrow victory, the 36-year-old asked to address the whole team and the defender specifically.

• He expressed regret to Keane for slapping him across the head
• The heated early altercation occurred after a misplaced pass in his own penalty area
• He also said sorry to the squad for leaving them with a difficult challenge
• His apology were positively accepted by the players

Possible Consequences

The 36-year-old could still be disciplined by the club despite Moyes' admission that he appreciates his team members fighting with each other. The Scot has a regular punishment process for dismissals and cautions, including financial penalties, which is likely to be applied in this situation.

Suspension and International Duty

Everton could be without their key player until the new year. Gueye will serve a three-game ban against Newcastle, AFC Bournemouth and Forest but could be selected for Africa Cup of Nations duty by Senegal before he becomes eligible to play against Chelsea on 13 December.

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

Rival Reaction

At the same time, Mathijs de Ligt claimed his team of lacking immediacy in Monday's loss, which halted their unbeaten run at multiple matches.

• '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,' that defend deep it's difficult

United travel to Crystal Palace for Sunday's noon kickoff. 'The next game is really important now,' commented the defender. 'We must recover strongly from this display.'