When Idrissa Gueye's palm connected with Michael Keane's cheek during Everton's match on Monday night, he risked awakening an old Premier League curse. The incident marked the first time a player had been sent off for striking a teammate since Ricardo Fuller's infamous clash with Stoke captain Andy Griffin back in December 2008.
The historical precedent is not a comforting one for the Toffees. Following their 2008 altercation, Fuller and Griffin never shared the pitch again, with Griffin eventually being ushered out of the club after a falling-out with manager Tony Pulis. The public fallout lasted for days, with Fuller notably refusing to apologise. Current Everton manager David Moyes will be keen to avoid a similar scandal unfolding at Goodison Park.
These explosive moments, while rare, are not isolated incidents in the high-pressure world of English football. From training ground bust-ups to mid-game meltdowns, the history of the Premier League is punctuated with dramatic confrontations between teammates.
Historic On-Pitch Explosions
The Merseyside Derby Meltdown, 1993
The pressure of a Merseyside derby boiled over in September 1993 when Liverpool's veteran goalkeeper, Bruce Grobbelaar, turned on his own teammate. Incandescent with rage after Steve McManaman's feeble clearance gifted Everton the opener, Grobbelaar charged over to the young midfielder. The situation escalated violently when the Zimbabwean stopper grabbed McManaman by the jaw and shoved his head backwards. McManaman responded with a two-handed shove before storming away. Remarkably, neither player was sent off, but Liverpool slumped to a 2-0 defeat, their third consecutive loss.
The Newcastle Nightmare, 2005
One of the most infamous Premier League fights occurred at St James' Park in April 2005. Newcastle were already 3-0 down and reduced to 10 men against Aston Villa when teammates Lee Bowyer and Kieron Dyer came to blows in front of a stunned audience. Bowyer has since claimed his fury stemmed from Dyer repeatedly refusing to pass to him in scoring positions. Both men were sent off, an unprecedented event that left manager Graeme Souness in disbelief. The feud had immediate consequences, with both players suspended for an FA Cup semi-final loss to Manchester United, though Bowyer insists the conflict ended with the final whistle.
Training Ground and Dressing Room Disasters
The Arsenal Clash, 2008
During a humiliating 5-1 League Cup semi-final defeat to Tottenham, the frayed relationship between Arsenal strikers Emmanuel Adebayor and Nicklas Bendtner reached its breaking point. With the Gunners 4-0 down, Adebayor came on as a substitute and was allegedly furious. Bendtner, who had scored an own goal, recounted in his autobiography that Adebayor shouted, 'I'm here because you're playing like s***.' The tension erupted into a physical fight in the Tottenham penalty area, resulting in Adebayor headbutting Bendtner and making his nose bleed. The conflict continued in the dressing room after the match, leading to both players being fined two weeks' wages. They never reconciled.
The Tottenham Leadership Spat, 2020
In a shocking display of dissent in July 2020, Tottenham's captain Hugo Lloris and star forward Son Heung-min had a furious confrontation. Shortly after football's restart post-Covid, Lloris unleashed his wrath on Son for failing to track back during a match against Everton. The French goalkeeper shoved the South Korean forward and had to be physically restrained by three teammates. In a curious defence of the incident, manager Jose Mourinho called it 'beautiful', claiming it was a sign of his players demanding more from each other. Spurs went on to win the match 1-0.
The Most Notorious Off-Field Attack
The Golf Club Assault, 2007
Perhaps the most extreme case of teammate conflict happened away from the pitch in February 2007. During a Liverpool squad trip to the Algarve before a Champions League match against Barcelona, a drunken argument over karaoke escalated into a violent attack. Craig Bellamy, enraged that John Arne Riise refused to sing, later confronted the Norwegian defender in his hotel room armed with a golf club. In his autobiography, Riise recalls Bellamy swinging the 8-iron 'as hard as he could' at his shins, an impact that could have ended his career. Riise managed to avoid the worst of the assault but was struck hard on the hip and thigh.
In a remarkable twist of footballing fate, both players scored in Liverpool's 2-1 victory over Barcelona days later. Bellamy celebrated his equaliser with a mock golf swing, while Riise netted the winner from an assist provided by none other than Bellamy himself.
These incidents serve as stark reminders that the intense pressure and passion of professional football can sometimes fracture the strongest of team bonds, creating moments of scandal that live on in Premier League folklore.
