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

Rare Incident in English Football

The midfielder became the first Premier League player to be sent off for striking a fellow player in nearly two decades when he slapped Michael Keane during the fixture. The Toffees' performance was heroic as they played with 10 men for 85 minutes, including added time, to achieve David Moyes' initial victory at Old Trafford as a visiting manager in 18 attempts.

'My first apology goes to Michael Keane,' he wrote on his accounts. 'I take full responsibility for my reaction.'

Dressing Room Reaction

Gueye did not get an opportunity to converse with the manager or his teammates at the interval. Following the match, with the visitors' locker room celebrating after the narrow victory, the 36-year-old asked to speak to the whole team and the defender in particular.

• He expressed regret to Keane for slapping him across the face
• The intense early altercation occurred after a poor distribution 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 squad

Possible Consequences

The 36-year-old could still be disciplined by Everton despite the manager's admission that he appreciates his team members fighting with each other. Moyes has a standard disciplinary procedure for red and yellow cards, including financial penalties, which is likely to be applied in this situation.

Ban and National Team Commitments

Everton could be without their influential midfielder until the January. Gueye will serve a three-match ban against Newcastle United, AFC Bournemouth and Forest but might be called up for AFCON responsibilities by his national team before he becomes eligible to play against Chelsea on mid-December.

'Emotions can run high,' he added. 'However, there's no excuse for such conduct.'

Rival Reaction

At the same time, Mathijs de Ligt claimed his team of lacking immediacy in the recent defeat, which halted their unbeaten run at five games.

• 'English football doesn't tolerate weakness,' stated the Netherlands international
• 'We were missing the necessary intensity to find the net'
• 'When facing sides like Everton,' who drop back it becomes challenging

United travel to Selhurst Park for Sunday's lunchtime start. 'Our upcoming match is absolutely crucial,' said De Ligt. 'We have to bounce back from this performance.'