Idrissa Gueye’s Early Red Card Overshadows Everton’s Victory Over Manchester United

MANCHESTER, England — Idrissa Gueye, midfielder for Everton, was shown a red card for violent conduct just 13 minutes into their Premier League match against Manchester United on Monday after striking teammate Michael Keane.

The incident occurred during an argument following a misplaced pass from Gueye to Keane, which led to a scoring opportunity for Bruno Fernandes. Referee Tony Harrington witnessed the strike and promptly issued a red card, prompting intervention from Jordan Pickford and Iliman Ndiaye as Gueye attempted to continue the dispute.

The Premier League Match Centre confirmed that the decision to send Gueye off was reviewed by VAR, which upheld the referee’s judgment, categorizing the action as a clear strike to Keane’s face.

This dismissal forced manager David Moyes into a second tactical adjustment, occurring just three minutes after Seamus Coleman had to leave the pitch due to injury during his first Premier League start of the season.

Moyes commented post-match, saying, “I didn’t think there was anything in it. I was a bit annoyed they were challenging each other, but I was also pleased to see that they cared enough to fight for it. If we hadn’t shown that fight and resilience, we wouldn’t have managed to secure the win. [Gueye] has apologized to the dressing room. No problem, and we move on.”

At the time of Gueye’s dismissal, the score was still 0-0. However, shortly thereafter, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall put Everton ahead with a beautifully executed curled shot from the edge of the penalty area. Despite being a man down for the entirety of the second half, Everton managed to maintain their lead and earn a surprising three points at Old Trafford.

Dewsbury-Hall described Gueye’s red card as a moment of madness, noting, “It was avoidable, but Idrissa has apologized to us all at full-time. The response from the team was incredible; we could have easily collapsed but instead, it brought us closer together as a unit.”

This incident is not unprecedented, as there have been other instances of teammates clashing on the pitch. Notably, Stoke City’s Ricardo Fuller slapped captain Andy Griffin during a match against West Ham on December 28, 2008. Similarly, in 2005, Newcastle players Lee Bowyer and Kieron Dyer were both sent off following a confrontation during a game against Aston Villa. Additionally, Blackburn Rovers players David Batty and Graeme Le Saux found themselves embroiled in a heated argument during a Champions League match against Spartak Moscow in 1995.