Manager David Moyes raised eyebrows at Everton’s shock win at Old Trafford, admitting he actually likes seeing players “fighting each other” – as long as it comes from a place that demands higher standards.
The Everton manager made the remarks after Idrissa Gueye received a red card for slapping team-mate Michael Keane during the 1-0 win over Manchester United, a bizarre flashpoint that ended in a declared victory.
The incident occurred just 13 minutes into the match, with Gueye furious after being reprimanded by Keane for a sloppy pass. The midfielder lunged at the centre-half and hit him in the face, prompting referee Tony Harrington to give him an immediate red.
Match winner Keiynan Dewsbury-Hall later described it as a “moment of madness”, but Everton somehow bounced back. Despite being down to 10 men, Dewsbury Hall took the lead with a superb strike and they defended resolutely from then on, limiting United’s chances of chasing an equaliser.
Gay apologizes to Keane, Moises encourages him
After the game, Moyes revealed that Gueye had apologized to the team in the dressing room, and the 36-year-old subsequently posted a lengthy message on Instagram, accepting full responsibility.
“First of all, I would like to apologize to my teammate Michael Keane. I take full responsibility for my reaction,” Gay wrote, extending his apologies to the rest of the team, staff, fans and club. He added that the abuse “doesn’t reflect who I am or the values I stand for” and vowed it would never happen again.
But Moïse took a delicate position. He admitted he was “disappointed” by the red card, but suggested there was another side to the conflict.
He said he was told that slapping his own player would automatically get him into trouble under the rules of the game, but added:
“I like when players compete against each other. If someone doesn’t do the right thing…if you want to get results with that toughness and resilience, you want someone to act on it.”
Despite everything, Everton won
The Scot insisted such flare-ups happen in football, and stressed that Gueye praised and appreciated his team-mates for digging deep with 10 men.
The result lifted Everton into 11th place, above struggling rivals Liverpool in the table, but United’s defeat put a damper on what had recently seemed to be a renaissance in European football.
