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The Everton midfielder was given a warm ovation from his fellow squad members after delivering an apology for his extraordinary dismissal during Monday's victory at Manchester United.

Unprecedented Situation in English Football

Gueye earned the distinction of being the first Premier League player to be dismissed for hitting a teammate in 17 years when he slapped Michael Keane during the match. Everton's display was heroic as they competed with a man down for the majority of the game, including stoppage time, to secure David Moyes' initial victory at Old Trafford as a visiting manager in multiple tries.

'I want to apologise first to Michael Keane,' Gueye stated on social media. 'I take full responsibility for my reaction.'

Dressing Room Response

The Senegalese international did not get an opportunity to converse with the manager or his colleagues at half-time. Afterwards, with the visitors' locker room celebrating after the 1-0 win, the 36-year-old asked to address the whole team and Keane in particular.

• Gueye apologized to the defender for striking him across the face
• The heated early altercation occurred after a poor distribution in his own penalty area
• He also apologized to the team for putting them with a difficult challenge
• His apology were positively accepted by the players

Potential Ramifications

Gueye could still be punished by the club despite the manager's admission that he appreciates his players competing with each other. The Scot has a standard punishment process for dismissals and cautions, including financial penalties, which is expected to be implemented in Gueye's case.

Suspension and International Duty

Everton may find themselves without their key player until the January. The Senegalese international will complete a three-game ban against Newcastle, Bournemouth and Forest but might be called up for AFCON responsibilities by Senegal before he becomes eligible to play against Chelsea on 13 December.

'Passions can sometimes overflow,' he added. 'However, there's no excuse for such conduct.'

Opposition Reaction

At the same time, Mathijs de Ligt claimed United of lacking immediacy in the recent loss, which ended their unbeaten run at five games.

• 'The Premier League is not for the weak,' said the Netherlands international
• 'We lacked that urgency to score goals,'
• 'When facing sides like Everton,' who drop back it's difficult

United travel to Crystal Palace for the weekend lunchtime start. 'The next game is really important now,' said the defender. 'We must recover strongly from this display.'