‘i Like My Players Fighting’: David Moyes Defends Gueye After Dramatic Bust-up

David Moyes said he likes his ­players “fighting each other” aft Idrissa Gueye was sent disconnected successful nan 13th infinitesimal for slapping his teammate Michael Keane successful Everton’s 1-0 triumph complete Manchester United astatine Old Trafford .

The triumph was a first astatine Old Trafford successful nan Premier League for nan visitors since 2013. After Gueye’s reddish card, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall’s 29th-minute onslaught proved nan victor arsenic United mislaid for a first clip successful nan title astatine location aft an force was reduced to 10 men.

Gueye’s marching orders came aft he approached Keane, was pushed away, and past slapped nan defender connected nan cheek, causing nan referee, Tony Harrington, to nonstop him disconnected for convulsive conduct. Gueye later apologised to his teammates.

Moyes said: “I for illustration my players fighting each other, if personification didn’t do nan correct action. If you want that toughness and resilience to get a result, you want personification to enactment connected it.

“If thing happened [no reddish card], I don’t deliberation anyone successful nan stadium would person been surprised. I thought nan referee could person taken a spot longer to deliberation astir it. I was told that [by] nan rules of nan crippled that if you slap your ain player, you could beryllium successful trouble.

“I’m disappointed we sewage nan sending off. But we’ve each been footballers, we get angry pinch our teammates. He’s apologised for nan sending off, he’s praised nan players and thanked them for it and apologised.”

Defeat ended United’s five-game unbeaten run. Ruben Amorim ­echoed Moyes’s sentiment. The caput coach said: “Fighting is not a bad thing. Fighting doesn’t mean that they don’t for illustration each other. Fighting is that you suffer nan shot [so] I will conflict you because we will suffer a goal. That was really I felt erstwhile I watched. And I don’t work together pinch nan sending off.”

United stay connected 18 points, 2 down Crystal Palace successful 5th place, which whitethorn again beryllium capable to seal a Champions League place.

Amorim said: “I cognize astatine which constituent we are astatine nan moment. I person that emotion during this [unbeaten] run. I ever talk astir that – we are not there, not moreover adjacent nan constituent that we should beryllium to conflict for nan champion positions successful nan league. We person a batch to do and we request to beryllium cleanable to triumph games. We were not cleanable today.”

Matheus Cunha’s caput wounded ruled him retired of nan game.