Ex-Premier League official explains why Michael Keane went unpunished in Idrissa Gana Gueye incident

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Everton produced a superb performance to beat Manchester United 1-0 despite Idrissa Gana Gueye’s unbelievable red card.

David Moyes would have been dreaming of beating Manchester United at Old Trafford, but he couldn’t have imagined it would be in these circumstances.

15 minutes hadn’t even passed when Everton midfielder Idrissa Gana Gueye was sent off for appearing to slap teammate Michael Keane.

An early red card is bad enough, but when it’s a scrap between teammates, it feels even worse.

Everton actually seemed to be galvanised by that moment, and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall’s superb long-range strike proved to be the winner.

Former Premier League official on Michael Keane incident in Everton win

Everybody in Everton blue stepped up and produced a brilliant, battling display to claim all three points.

The red card was frankly ridiculous, but these moments have happened in the Premier League in the past.

Lee Bowyer and Kieron Dyer offered up the most famous incident at Newcastle in 2005, but the most recent example featured Stoke City’s Ricardo Fuller and Andy Griffin in 2008.

Only Fuller was sent off in that moment, but both Bowyer and Dyer were given their marching orders.

Gueye was sent off, but Keane went unpunished despite pushing and shoving the Senegal midfielder.

Former Premier League assistant referee Darren Cann has told BBC Sport that the key difference was that Keane only pushed Gueye in the chest.

Any contact to the face would have seen Keane receive a red card as well, but a push in the chest was not enough for a dismissal.

“For Michael Keane’s push to be violent conduct, it would need to be on the face as opposed to on the chest,” said Cann.

“Of course, you can still be sent off if you punch somebody in the chest, but I would suggest that Michael Keane’s push away was more him telling Idrissa Gueye to get off him,” he added.

David Moyes on Idrissa Gana Gueye situation

Gueye has apologised to Everton fans and offered an apology in the dressing room after the final whistle.

A player of his vast experience should really know better, but David Moyes has taken an interesting stance.

Speaking to Sky Sports, Moyes admitted that he actually likes the fire shown by Gueye and Keane.

“There’s another side of it; I quite like my players fighting each other and getting annoyed with each other because it was a bad ball or somebody didn’t do the right action,” said Moyes.

“I think that’s part of it. If you want a winning team and you want that resilience and the toughness which got us the result, then I think you’re going to have players that act that way.

“I’m disappointed we got the sending off, but everybody will tell you, we’ve all been footballers, and the ones who have been will tell you that, quite often, you’ll get angry with your teammates,” he added.

Gueye must now serve a suspension, but that will not overshadow a brilliant Everton victory on Monday night.