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During Everton’s recent Premier League clash against Manchester United, Idrissa Gueye was shown a straight red card for striking his own teammate, Michael Keane, in the face. The incident occurred early in the match at Old Trafford, when tensions boiled over shortly after Bruno Fernandes nearly scored for United. Gueye and Keane engaged in a heated argument around the 13th minute, which escalated until Gueye hit Keane with an open hand. Everton’s goalkeeper, Jordan Pickford, stepped in to separate the players before referee Tony Harrington dismissed Gueye for violent conduct.
Following the match, Everton manager David Moyes expressed an unusual take on the incident, saying he “quite likes” his players fighting each other. “I’m sort of saying I want them to be tough,” Moyes explained. He emphasized the value of resilience and toughness in a winning team, adding, “If you want a winning team, and that resilience and toughness that got us the result, you have to have players who are going to act that way.” Despite being a man down, Everton managed a 1-0 victory thanks to Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall’s 29th-minute goal. Dewsbury-Hall later described the altercation between Gueye and Keane as a “moment of madness” and noted the team’s ability to move past it and grow stronger.
Gueye publicly apologized on social media after the game, taking full responsibility for his actions. He addressed his teammate directly: “I want to apologise first to my team-mate Michael Keane. I take full responsibility for my reaction.” Gueye also apologized to Everton’s staff, fans, and the club, asserting that his behavior did not reflect his character or values. Moyes confirmed that Gueye’s teammates accepted the apology when he addressed the group, saying, “Big enough to stand up and say he made a mistake. I’ve accepted it, we all move on.” Meanwhile, the Premier League Match Centre confirmed the referee’s decision after a VAR check, stating the red card was “deemed to be a clear strike to the face of Keane,” which fits the definition of violent conduct under the rules.
Reactions to the incident varied among experts and former players. Former assistant referee Darren Cann described the situation as unusual but supported the referee’s decision, noting that Harrington had a clear view of Gueye slapping Keane in the face, justifying the red card. In contrast, former Manchester United and England defender Gary Neville believed that a yellow card would have sufficed, remarking the clash was less severe than past infamous incidents involving teammates fighting. Joe Hart, former Manchester City goalkeeper, speculated that something had likely been building between Gueye and Keane prior to the incident and questioned whether the red card was warranted. Opinions from fans ranged from criticism of Gueye’s behavior to disappointment in Keane’s role in the altercation, highlighting the complexity of the situation both on and off the pitch
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