Everton Win Overshadowed by Teammate Clash
Everton’s surprising victory over Manchester United was overshadowed by a shocking incident early in the match at Old Trafford: a physical altercation between teammates Idrissa Gueye and Michael Keane. The brief but intense brawl began after a missed opportunity by United’s Bruno Fernandes, escalating into a heated argument where accusations flew between the Everton players. Keane twice pushed Gueye before the midfielder responded with a slap to the face.
goalkeeper Jordan Pickford intervened to prevent further escalation, but Gueye was ultimately shown a red card for violent conduct.
Surprisingly, Everton manager David Moyes defended the clash, stating, “I like it when my players argue. A winning team must have character and be tough. none of my players must accept that someone isn’t doing the right thing.” He praised the internal competitiveness of his squad, even if it leads to conflict.
Gueye, however, took responsibility for his actions, issuing a public apology on social media: “I take full responsibility. What happened does not reflect who I am. I promise it won’t happen again.” Moyes later confirmed that the issue had been resolved, with Gueye receiving applause from the team after apologizing in the locker room.
While rare, on-field arguments between teammates have occurred in English football before. Gueye’s dismissal marks the third instance of a Premier league red card for an internal brawl,following incidents involving Lee Bowyer and Kieron Dyer (2005) and Ricardo Fuller and Andy Griffin (2008). other notable clashes include those between Bruce Grobbelaar and Steve McManaman (1993) and Emmanuel Adebayor and Nicklas bendtner (2008). The article also notes a memorable incident in Italian football: the punch thrown by Fiorentina coach Delio Rossi at his player adem Ljajić.
