Idrissa Gueye’s Red Card Sparks Controversy in Premier League Match

Idrissa Gueye faced his second red card in the Premier League during his 241st appearance, and his first since October 2017.

In a recent match against Manchester United, Gueye was sent off following a confrontation with teammate Michael Keane. The incident occurred in the 13th minute at Old Trafford, shortly after Bruno Fernandes nearly scored for United, leaving the game scoreless at the time.

The situation escalated when Keane appeared to push Gueye away on two occasions, leading to Gueye allegedly placing his hand on Keane’s face. Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford intervened to separate the two players before referee Tony Harrington issued a straight red card to Gueye for violent conduct.

According to the Premier League Match Centre, the red card was confirmed by VAR, which deemed Gueye’s action as a clear strike to Keane’s face. The rules on violent conduct state that striking an opponent or another individual on the head or face with one’s hand or arm warrants a sending-off, unless the force is negligible.

Former Manchester City and England goalkeeper Joe Hart remarked on BBC Radio 5 Live’s Monday Night Club that there seemed to be underlying tension between the two players prior to the incident. “The referee wasn’t even close enough to hear what Idrissa Gueye was saying, but he was in Michael Keane’s face, who is considerably bigger than him and shoved him off with one arm,” Hart noted. He suggested that if this was all that transpired, it should not have resulted in a red card, indicating that prior issues may have contributed to the incident.

Despite being down to 10 men, Everton managed to take the lead with a goal from Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall in the 29th minute.

Gueye’s dismissal marks him as the first player in the Premier League to be sent off for fighting with a teammate since Ricardo Fuller clashed with Andy Griffin in 2008.

Darren Cann, a former assistant referee with over 1,000 professional matches to his credit, described the confrontation as “unusual.” He emphasized that referee Harrington had a clear view of the incident, which justified the red card based on the laws of football.

Former Everton manager Roberto Martinez expressed his surprise at the altercation, stating, “There is a bit of a misunderstanding between them. The referee has no choice; the law dictates that is a red card.”

Idrissa Gana Gueye had recently signed a new one-year contract with Everton in July.