Idrissa Gueye Sent Off for Violent Conduct in Premier League Clash

omidbasir- MANCHESTER, England — Everton midfielder Idrissa Gueye was shown a red card for violent conduct just 13 minutes into their Premier League match against Manchester United on Monday, following an incident in which he slapped teammate Michael Keane.

The incident occurred shortly after Gueye made a misplaced pass to Keane in Everton’s penalty area, which allowed Bruno Fernandes to create a scoring opportunity. Referee Tony Harrington witnessed Gueye strike Keane in the face during a heated exchange between the two players early in the first half at Old Trafford.

In response to the violent conduct, Harrington issued an immediate red card to Gueye, who had to be restrained by teammates Jordan Pickford and Iliman Ndiaye as he attempted to continue arguing with Keane.

The Premier League Match Centre confirmed that the decision to send Gueye off was validated by VAR, which determined that the action constituted a clear strike to the face of Keane.

This incident forced Everton manager David Moyes to make a tactical adjustment, coming just three minutes after Seamus Coleman had to leave the match prematurely due to injury.

At the time of Gueye’s dismissal, the score was tied at 0-0. However, shortly after going down to ten players, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall scored a beautifully curled finish from the edge of the area, putting Everton ahead 1-0.

Remarkably, despite being a man down for the entire second half, Everton managed to hold off Manchester United, securing an unexpected three points at Old Trafford.

Altercations between teammates on the pitch are not unprecedented. A notable recent instance occurred in December 2008, when Stoke City’s Ricardo Fuller slapped teammate and captain Andy Griffin during a match against West Ham. In 2005, Newcastle’s Lee Bowyer and Kieron Dyer were both shown red cards after clashing during a Premier League match against Aston Villa. Additionally, Blackburn Rovers players David Batty and Graeme Le Saux had a heated argument during a Champions League match against Spartak Moscow in 1995.