Moyes approves of Everton's fighting spirit

LONDON - Everton manager David Moyes has made light of midfielder Idrissa Gueye’s sending-off for a confrontation with teammate Michael Keane 13 minutes into his side’s 1-0 Premier League win away to Manchester United on Nov 24.

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After 17 failed attempts to win a league game at Old Trafford as a visiting manager, Moyes finally enjoyed a victory in unusual circumstances after Gueye saw red for slapping Keane following a heated exchange.

It was only the third time in Premier League history that a player had been dismissed for a fracas with a teammate and the first time since 2008, when Stoke City’s Ricardo Fuller slapped Andy Griffin during a match at West Ham United.

Moyes said that Senegal international Gueye had apologised and that the incident had some positives.

“These things happen in football, I thought the referee could maybe have taken a little bit longer to think about it,” he said after Everton’s first league win at Old Trafford for 12 years and second in their last 33 visits.

“I'm getting told the rules are that if you slap your own player or raise an arm in some way you can be in trouble. But, you know, there’s another side of it.