Idrissa Gueye’s Red Card Incident: A Moment of Madness in Premier League Showdown

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

The incident occurred when Gueye struck Keane in the face during a heated exchange early in the first half at Old Trafford, triggered by a misplaced pass from Gueye that allowed Manchester’s Bruno Fernandes to threaten Everton’s goal.

Referee Tony Harrington promptly issued a red card to Gueye, who had to be restrained by teammates Jordan Pickford and Iliman Ndiaye as he attempted to continue the dispute with Keane.

The Premier League Match Centre confirmed the decision, stating, “The referee’s call of red card to Gueye for violent conduct was checked and verified by VAR, with the action deemed a clear strike to the face of Keane.”

This forced David Moyes to make further adjustments to his lineup, occurring just three minutes after Seamus Coleman had to leave the match due to injury, marking his first Premier League start of the season.

Post-match, Moyes expressed his thoughts: “I didn’t think there was anything in it. While I felt a bit annoyed with their confrontation, I was also pleased they showed passion, as it indicated they cared. If there hadn’t been that fight or resilience, they likely wouldn’t have managed to secure the win. Gueye has since apologized to the dressing room. We move forward without issue.”

When Gueye was dismissed, the score was still tied at 0-0. Shortly afterward, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall scored with a beautifully curled finish from outside the box, giving Everton a 1-0 lead despite being a man down.

Dewsbury-Hall commented on the red card, calling it a “moment of madness” and acknowledged that it was avoidable. He noted that Gueye had apologized to the team after the match and expressed pride in their collective response, stating, “The lads showed incredible resilience. We could have easily crumbled but instead, it strengthened our bond as a team.”

Incidents of altercations between teammates on the pitch are not uncommon. A notable recent instance occurred when Stoke City’s Ricardo Fuller slapped captain Andy Griffin during a game against West Ham on December 28, 2008. Additionally, in 2005, Newcastle teammates Lee Bowyer and Kieron Dyer faced red cards after a confrontation during a match against Aston Villa. Another fiery exchange occurred in 1995 when Blackburn Rovers players David Batty and Graeme Le Saux clashed during a Champions League match against Spartak Moscow.