David Moyes said he actually enjoys seeing his players show aggression toward each other after Everton midfielder Idrissa Gueye was sent off for striking his team mate Michael Keane during their one goal Premier League victory at Manchester United. The incident happened in the thirteenth minute at Old Trafford after United captain Bruno Fernandes came close to scoring in a lively opening spell. Keane appeared frustrated with Gueye as the two began arguing. The defender pushed the midfielder away twice before Gueye reacted by slapping him across the face with an open hand. Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford rushed in to separate them while referee Tony Harrington stepped forward and immediately produced a straight red card for violent conduct. This early dismissal created one of the most dramatic Premier League talking points of the weekend.
Premier League Reaction Reviews Man Utd Setback and Gueye Sending Off Talk
Moyes defended the fiery exchange, saying he wants a team with toughness and high standards. He insisted that players must demand more from each other if they want to win consistently in the Premier League. According to the manager, someone on the pitch had not done their job properly, and the reaction was a sign that the team refused to accept poor performance. He added that such confrontations can be part of building resilience and mentality. After the match, Gueye issued a public apology directed at Keane, the rest of the squad, the coaching staff, and Everton fans. He wrote that his actions did not reflect his character and that emotions can rise during intense Premier League matches. He promised that the incident would not happen again. Moyes later revealed that the squad applauded Gueye when he stood before them to take responsibility and apologise. The Premier League Match Centre confirmed that the red card was reviewed by video officials, who agreed that the slap to the face met the definition of violent conduct. The rules state that striking any person on the head or face with a hand or arm is a sending off offense unless the force is negligible.
United manager Ruben Amorim disagreed with the decision, saying that team mates can argue and that he did not believe the situation deserved a red card. However, statistics show how rare such incidents are. According to Opta, only two other players have been sent off in Premier League history for clashing with their own team mate during a match. Despite playing with ten men for most of the match, Everton secured the win thanks to a goal from Kiernan Dewsbury Hall in the twenty ninth minute. The midfielder described the confrontation as a moment of madness but confirmed that the team accepted Gueyes apology and moved forward. The victory pushed Everton to consecutive Premier League wins and lifted them to eleventh in the table, placing them above Liverpool on goal difference. For Moyes, the win marked his first Premier League success at Old Trafford as a visiting manager. He praised his teams determination, saying they had to defend for most of the match and needed a huge collective effort to secure the points.
source:BBC
