Everton teammates Idrissa Gueye and Michael Keane have publicly reconciled, just days after a shocking on-pitch altercation saw Gueye receive a straight red card for slapping his own teammate.
From Red Card to Reconciliation
The extraordinary incident occurred during Everton's 1-0 victory over Manchester United at Old Trafford on Monday night. Idrissa Gueye, the 36-year-old Senegalese midfielder, was shown a direct red card by referee Tony Harrington after just 13 minutes for striking defender Michael Keane in the face.
The confrontation reportedly began after Gueye was reprimanded for a careless pass. The midfielder immediately confronted Keane, raising his hand and landing a blow that left the referee with no choice but to dismiss him. Match-winner Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall later described the event as a 'moment of madness'.
Apologies and Moving Forward
Despite being reduced to ten men so early in the match, Everton regrouped and secured a surprising 1-0 win, with Dewsbury-Hall scoring the decisive goal in the 29th minute.
Following the match, Gueye took full responsibility for his actions. He apologised to Keane in the dressing room and later extended his remorse in a public Instagram post. 'I want to apologise first and foremost to my teammate, Michael Keane,' Gueye wrote. 'I take full responsibility for my reaction. What happened does not reflect who I am or the values I stand for.'
By Thursday, the pair had clearly put the incident behind them. Everton's official social media account posted a photograph of the two players laughing together at the club's Finch Farm training ground, each wearing a boxing glove. The club captioned the image 'All love' with a blue heart emoji, signalling the dispute was firmly over.
Manager's Reaction and Team Spirit
Manager David Moyes offered a surprising perspective on the clash, even suggesting he liked to see a bit of fight in his players. 'I like my players to fight with each other if someone didn't do the correct action,' the Scottish manager stated. He also expressed disappointment with the sending-off, hinting that the referee could have taken more time to consider the situation.
Moyes heaped praise on his team for their resilient performance to secure all three points against Manchester United despite the early setback. The victory has propelled Everton up to 11th place in the Premier League table.
With Gueye now serving a suspension, Everton's focus shifts to their next challenge: a Saturday night fixture against Newcastle United at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
