Everton secured a superb win against Manchester United despite Idrissa Gueye’s red card for slapping Michael Keane, a rare incident in Premier League history that overshadowed their triumph at Old Trafford.
Everton midfielder Idrissa Gueye was shown the red card for slapping teammate Michael Keane as early as the 13th minute of their Premier League match in Manchester, according to a report from The Week News Desk.
The altercation arose after Gueye recovered the ball and passed it into space, hoping Keane would pick up the pass. When the English defender failed to do so, Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes stepped in and took a shot.
During the ensuing argument, Keane pushed Gueye, who responded with a left-handed slap, prompting referee Tony Harrington to show the Senegalese midfielder a red card.
Despite being reduced to 10 men, Everton held on for a superb victory, securing the win via a Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall strike in the 29th minute.
The result handed United a frustrating defeat and marked the first time in 47 Premier League matches that a visiting team had beaten them at Old Trafford with a man disadvantage.
Gueye issued a public apology after the game on his Instagram account. He stated:
“I want to apologize first to my teammate Michael Keane. I take full responsibility for my reaction. I also apologize to my teammates, the staff, the fans and the club.
What happened does not reflect who I am or the values I stand for. Emotions can run high, but nothing justifies such behavior. I’ll make sure it never happens again.”
While rare, this is not the first instance of violent conduct against a teammate resulting in a red card. Historical examples include Ricardo Fuller of Stoke City being sent off for slapping his captain Andy Griffin on December 28, 2008, and the notable incident on April 2, 2005, when both Lee Bowyer and Kieron Dyer of Newcastle United were dismissed for fighting each other.