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The Everton midfielder was given a round of applause from his fellow squad members after delivering an explanation for his shocking red card 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 nearly two decades when he slapped Michael Keane during the fixture. Everton's performance was remarkable as they played 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,' Gueye stated on social media. 'I take full responsibility for my reaction.'

Dressing Room Response

Gueye did not get an chance to speak with the manager or his colleagues at half-time. Afterwards, with the away dressing room celebrating after the narrow victory, the 36-year-old requested to speak to the whole team and Keane in particular.

• Gueye apologized to Keane for slapping him across the head
• The intense early altercation occurred after a misplaced pass in his own defensive third
• He also apologized to the team for putting them with a difficult challenge
• Gueye's words were warmly received by the players

Potential Ramifications

The 36-year-old may yet be punished by Everton despite the manager's statement that he likes his players fighting with each other. Moyes has a standard disciplinary procedure for red and yellow cards, including fines, which is likely to be applied in Gueye's case.

Suspension and National Team Duty

Everton could be without their influential midfielder until the new year. Gueye will complete a three-game suspension against Newcastle, AFC Bournemouth and Forest but could be selected for AFCON duty by his national team before he becomes eligible to play against the Blues on mid-December.

'Passions can sometimes overflow,' Gueye continued. 'But nothing justifies such behaviour.'

Rival Reaction

At the same time, the Manchester United defender accused his team of lacking urgency in the recent defeat, which halted their winning streak at five games.

• 'English football doesn't tolerate weakness,' said the Dutch defender
• 'We lacked that urgency to score goals,'
• 'When facing sides like Everton,' who drop back it's difficult

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