Everton’s dramatic 1–0 win over Manchester United at Old Trafford was overshadowed by one of the most unexpected moments of the Premier League season: Idrissa Gueye being sent off for striking his own team-mate Michael Keane in the opening stages of the match.

Despite the bizarre incident, Everton showed impressive resilience, holding firm with 10 men for more than 75 minutes as Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall’s first-half goal sealed three crucial points. The win also marked David Moyes’ first Premier League victory at Old Trafford as an opposing manager.

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Unexpected Clash Between Team-Mates Leads to Straight Red Card

The confrontation began shortly after Bruno Fernandes had gone close to opening the scoring. Gueye and Keane exchanged words, with Keane pushing Gueye away twice. The midfielder then struck Keane in the face with an open hand, prompting Jordan Pickford to intervene before referee Tony Harrington issued a straight red card after a VAR check confirmed violent conduct.

The Premier League’s match officials later stated that the decision met the criteria for violent conduct because it involved a strike to the face.

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Moyes: “I Quite Like When My Players Fight”

In a surprising post-match interview, Moyes made it clear he wasn’t entirely unhappy with the situation — aside from the dismissal.

“I quite like when my players fight,” the Everton manager said. “I want a tough team, a group that doesn’t accept someone not doing their job. If you want a winning side with real resilience, sometimes confrontations happen.”

He added that Gueye had faced the squad after the game and apologised, receiving applause from his teammates for owning up to the incident.

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Gueye Apologises: “Nothing Justifies My Behaviour”

The midfielder later addressed the clash publicly, posting on social media to apologise to Keane, the team, and supporters.

“Emotions can run high but it doesn’t justify what happened,” Gueye wrote. “This is not who I am, and it won’t happen again.”

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Experts Split on Whether Red Card Was Harsh

Reaction from pundits was mixed:

• Darren Cann, former Premier League assistant referee, argued the referee made the correct call under the laws of the game.
• Jamie Carragher suggested the referee might have had room to manage the situation differently.
• Gary Neville felt the incident was “innocuous” and a yellow card might have been enough.
• Joe Hart speculated that underlying tension between the players must have existed before the moment.

Opta later highlighted that this is only the third time on record that a Premier League player has been sent off for clashing with his own teammate.

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Dewsbury-Hall: “A Moment of Madness”

Match-winner Dewsbury-Hall described the bust-up as avoidable but said the team regrouped quickly.

“It was a moment of madness. Idrissa apologised, we accepted it, and moved on. In some ways, it brought us closer together.”

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Everton Climb Above Liverpool as Moyes Ends Old Trafford Curse

The victory lifted Everton to 11th in the table, narrowly above rivals Liverpool on goal difference. For Moyes, the win was especially meaningful after 17 unsuccessful attempts to beat United away in the league.

“We had to work unbelievably hard for 80 minutes with 10 men,” he said. “But we got the job done.”