Monday evening, Everton’s trip to Old Trafford turned into something unprecedented. After only thirteen minutes of play, Idrissa Gueye was sent off for an extremely rare gesture: an altercation with… a teammate. An extremely rare incident in the Premier League, confirmed by VAR, and which plunges Everton into an unexpected crisis. The episode initially left spectators stunned, before sparking an avalanche of reactions in English football.
Idrissa Gueye’s crazy gesture that stunned the Premier League
The turning point comes after a bad pass from the Senegalese towards Michael Keane, who offers Bruno Fernandes an opportunity. The Mancunian’s strike ends out of frame, but the scene degenerates immediately: harsh words, abrupt gestures, then a slap from Gueye. Tony Harrington does not hesitate and brings out the direct red, Pickford must intervene to calm his midfielder. At 36 years old, the former Parisian had not been expelled since 2017, a sign that this bout of nerves goes beyond any usual framework.
The English consultants were divided. Gary Neville considered the sanction disproportionate, believing that “the force of the gesture was negligible”. Jamie Carragher regretted that the referee did not seek to ease the tension rather than strictly apply the rules. Others, like Roberto Martinez, recalled that any hand to the face remains punishable by a red according to the texts. On the networks, the incident is debated: for some, “the weakest red in history”, for others, a gesture “ indefensible.”
Gueye assumes… refusing any excuse
Perhaps the most surprising thing is elsewhere: according to information provided after the meeting, Idrissa Gueye did not present any apology to Michael Keane in the hours that followed. Everton has not issued a statement and the manager has not commented publicly on the matter. For the moment, the player seems determined to let the controversy die down without recognizing his mistake, despite an automatic three-match suspension which comes at a very bad time for the Toffees.
The gesture recalls dark episodes in English football: Bowyer vs Dyer in 2005, Le Saux vs Batty in 1995, or Fuller vs Griffin in 2008. For sixteen years, never had a player been sent off for hitting his own partner. This statistical anomaly underlines all the more the seriousness of the scene. Everton, already in difficulty, will have to manage the sporting and internal consequences of a slip-up as unexpected as it is embarrassing.
