An unusual scene unfolded at Old Trafford during the Everton vs Manchester United match as Everton midfielder Idrissa Gueye was sent off for slapping his own teammate, Michael Keane. On-field disputes between teammates are rare in football, making this moment even more surprising for fans and officials.
Red Card Shocks Both Teammates Early inthe Match
The incident took place in the 13th minute after a defensive misunderstanding allowed Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes a chance on goal. Frustrated, Gueye confronted Keane and struck him across the face in full view of referee Tony Harrington.
Before Gueye could escalate further, “Jordan Pickford and Illiman Ndiaye rushed in to hold him back,” according to match observers.
VAR reviewed the sequence and confirmed a straight red card for violent conduct.
Despite being reduced to 10 men, Everton briefly took the lead through Kiernan Dewsbury’s goal, though the tension on the field remained high.
Gueye Issues Public Apology After the Match
Following the match, Gueye addressed the incident on social media, saying,
“𝑰 𝒕𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒇𝒖𝒍𝒍 𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒑𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒊𝒃𝒊𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒚 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒎𝒚 𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔… 𝑬𝒎𝒐𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔 𝒓𝒖𝒏 𝒉𝒊𝒈𝒉, 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒃𝒆𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒊𝒐𝒓 𝒊𝒔 𝒖𝒏𝒂𝒄𝒄𝒆𝒑𝒕𝒂𝒃𝒍𝒆, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒊𝒕 𝒘𝒐𝒏’𝒕 𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒆𝒏 𝒂𝒈𝒂𝒊𝒏.”
He apologized to Keane, teammates, staff, fans, and the club.
Football history shows this is not the first time teammates have clashed, though such moments remain rare. Past incidents include a 2008 altercation involving Stoke City players and the well-known 2005 fight between Newcastle’s Lee Bowyer and Kieron Dyer.
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