Gueye’s Controversial Red Card Raises Eyebrows in Everton Match

omidbasir- In a moment reminiscent of the infamous clash between Lee Bowyer and Kieron Dyer for Newcastle United in 2005, Idrissa Gueye found himself at the center of controversy after a confrontation with Everton teammate Michael Keane on Monday night. The referee issued a red card to Gueye, a decision that was swiftly confirmed by VAR, which ruled that Gueye had delivered a clear strike to Keane’s face.

The Premier League match center announced on X: “The referee’s decision to issue a red card to Gueye for violent conduct was reviewed and validated by VAR, with the action deemed a striking incident involving Keane.”

Gary Neville, the United legend commenting for Sky Sports, expressed his astonishment at the incident while also commending Everton’s goalkeeper, Jordan Pickford, for attempting to defuse the tension. He remarked, “There was a coming together between Gueye and Michael Keane. It always seems more disconcerting when teammates clash. Gueye approached Keane, who did not react aggressively, merely pushing him. I think Jordan Pickford handled the situation quite well.”

Fans took to social media to share their views. User @agbnufc_ remarked, “Shades of Bowyer vs Dyer, you love to see it,” while @ChelsChris03 declared, “That is the softest red card I’ve ever seen. If this involved two players from United, it wouldn’t have even been a red.”

User @0xJonnyDee commented, “What a moron. Slapping your own teammate and getting sent off for it—it’s been a long time since I’ve seen that.”

@ViscogliosiLuca questioned, “Is that really worthy of a red card? It seemed like a trivial scuffle, nothing more.”

Another fan, @brxdzQPR humorously suggested, “We need a camera in the dressing room at halftime to interview Gueye immediately. Only time I’ll advocate for a halftime interview.”

@Alexander_divi exclaimed, “MICHAEL KEANE CAN’T BELIEVE WHAT HE JUST WITNESSED. HE GOT SLAPPED IN THE FACE BY HIS OWN TEAMMATE WHO THEN GOT SENT OFF!”

User @mevans_11 echoed Neville’s sentiments, stating, “I believe a yellow card would have sufficed. If that had been against an opponent, it would likely only warrant a yellow half the time. Given that it was his own teammate, it should have been even less severe.”

@ftbIdxniel lamented, “The game’s gone,” while @Ash_LFC7 added, “So now pushing your own teammate results in a red card? The PGMOL is an utter embarrassment. Football is dying.”

According to BBC Sport, both Arsenal and Everton have received the most red cards in Premier League history, now totaling 110. Additionally, Gueye is the first player to be red-carded for fighting with a teammate in the Premier League since Stoke City’s Ricardo Fuller and Andy Griffin in December 2008.

The laws concerning ‘violent conduct’ specify that a sending-off offense occurs when a player strikes an opponent or any other individual on the head or face with their hand or arm, unless the force is deemed negligible. Neville opined that the situation could have been avoided had a different decision been made.

“Was it negligible? That’s the key question. I believe it was. There wasn’t much to it at all. They weren’t engaged in a fight; it could have easily been addressed with a yellow card. I can only imagine the conversation Gueye and Keane will have when they get back to the dressing room. How will that go?”

Following this game, Ruben Amorim’s United will conclude November with an away match against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on Sunday, while David Moyes’ Everton will host Newcastle United the day before. The Red Devils will then start December against struggling West Ham next Thursday, while the Toffees will be away at Bournemouth two days prior.