Everton have been left frustrated and short-handed after the Football Association rejected the club’s appeal against Idrissa Gueye’s red card, leaving the Senegal international sidelined for three crucial Premier League fixtures. The midfielder was dismissed in extraordinary circumstances during the Toffees’ gritty 1-0 win at Old Trafford, after he slapped teammate Michael Keane following a heated exchange on the pitch.
Appeal dismissed as Gueye faces a lengthy lay-off
Keane reacted angrily after Gueye surrendered possession dangerously close to the Everton penalty area, leading to a United attempt on goal. A war of words ensued, before Gueye appeared to strike a hand across Keane’s face. Goalkeeper Jordan Pickford intervened to separate the pair, but referee Craig Pawson deemed the contact violent conduct and showed Gueye a straight red card. It was a moment that could easily have derailed Everton’s evening, yet the 10 men somehow held firm to earn a rare and morale-boosting victory at Old Trafford. Gueye was visibly remorseful at full-time and addressed his teammates in the dressing room before later issuing a public apology.
"I want to apologise first to my team-mate Michael Keane," the player began, in a statement published as an Instagram story. "I take full responsibility for my reaction. I also apologise to my team-mates, the staff, the fans and the club. What happened does not reflect who I am or the values I stand for. Emotions can run high, but nothing justifies such behaviour. I'll make sure it never happens again."
The club lodged an immediate appeal, hopeful that mitigating circumstances might reduce the punishment. Instead, the FA turned it down without offering any detailed explanation, a decision manager David Moyes admitted has left the club perplexed.
"We have appealed [against the red card] and our appeal was turned down," Moyes said. "We haven't been given any reason why it was turned down, but we did appeal it – immediately."
AdvertisementGetty Images SportImmediate forgiveness in the dressing room
Teammates were quick to draw a line under the matter. Speaking after scoring the decisive goal, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall praised the group’s unity in adversity.
"Idrissa has apologised to us at full-time, said his piece and that's all he can do," Dewsbury-Hall told afterwards. "We move on from it. The reaction from us, was unbelievable. Top tier. We could have crumbled, but if anything, it made us grow."
Moyes echoed the sentiment, insisting the episode was dealt with swiftly and internally.
"There's another side to it," Moyes said. "I like my players fighting each other, if someone didn't do the right action. If you want that toughness and resilience to get a result, you want someone to act on it."
On the decision to send Gueye off in the first place, Moyes added: "If nothing happened, I don't think anyone in the stadium would have been surprised. I thought the referee could have taken a bit longer to think about it. I got told that the rules of the game are that if you slap your own player, you could be in trouble. I'm disappointed we got the sending off. But we've all been footballers, we get angry with our team-mates. He's apologised for the sending off, he's praised the players and thanked them for it and apologised for what happened."
Everton now critically short in midfield
The timing of Gueye’s suspension could scarcely be worse for Everton. Having started every league match this season and acting as the side’s midfield anchor, he will now miss games against Newcastle, Bournemouth and Nottingham Forest. He is also set to depart for Senegal’s Africa Cup of Nations campaign in December, which will remove him from club duties for an even longer stretch. Moyes is already stretched in midfield. German youngster Merlin Rohl is out until January after undergoing hernia surgery, and captain Seamus Coleman is nursing another hamstring complaint following a disrupted start to the season.
Moyes said: "Yes, we are (short in midfield). Merlin [Rohl] having an operation has made us light, so we are quite short but we have other people who can play in there – Charly Alcaraz, Dwight McNeil if we need to as well. I think those players can do the job in there, if required.
"Merlin probably isn't going to be back until the start of January and Idrissa's suspension [and forthcoming Afcon participation] leaves us pretty short in that area."
Getty Images SportEverton look ahead to a pivotal run
Everton’s Premier League programme continues on Saturday at Hill Dickinson Stadium, where they host an in-form Newcastle United side. Momentum is finally building after the Old Trafford upset, but Gueye’s absence complicates matters during a defining stretch of fixtures. As it stands, the midfielder will next be eligible for selection when Everton travel to Stamford Bridge to face Chelsea on December 13.