Why Idrissa Gana Gueye’s straight red for slapping a teammate was the correct call

Idrissa Gana Gueye received a straight red after slapping his own teammate during Manchester United vs Everton. The decision looked wild in real time, but by Law 12 it is textbook violent conduct. It does not matter who the recipient is - opponent, teammate, official or spectator - an off-the-ball slap is punishable by red. The crowd laughed, social feeds exploded, but the law is brutally clear. Expect a standard suspension and internal repercussions. Everton’s game state swung instantly, while United sensed blood. Strip away the noise and this is one of those rare moments where the letter and spirit of the law align.

Premier League fixture between Manchester United and Everton at Old Trafford. The incident occurred away from the ball and was penalized as violent conduct with a straight red card. Match officials communicated rapidly, and the on-field decision stood after the standard check. The atmosphere in the Stretford End spiked, with home supporters responding immediately to the dismissal. The episode became the focal point of the night, overshadowing team news and pre-match narratives.

Idrissa Gana Gueye has just been shown a straight red card for slapping his own teammate 😂

@UtdXclusive

Impact Analysis

From a laws-of-the-game standpoint, this is open and shut. IFAB Law 12 defines violent conduct as using or attempting to use excessive force or brutality when not challenging for the ball against anyone, including a teammate. The threshold does not require injury or prolonged contact. A deliberate slap is enough. Officials are trained to treat intra-team aggression as severely as player-on-opponent aggression, because it threatens control and safety.

In practical terms, the red card instantly reshapes the match and the near-term calendar for Everton. Playing with 10 typically compresses the block, surrenders width, and invites repeat entries. It also erodes counterpressure windows because the extra player usually pins the pivot or breaks the first pressing line. United’s expected threat increases in those stretches as they can hold possession longer and force defensive rotations.

Everton now faces two layers of fallout. First is the suspension that usually follows violent conduct in domestic competition. Second is internal discipline. Managers often respond by recalibrating roles to protect dressing-room standards, especially when senior players are involved. The medium-term knock-on can be selection churn in midfield, an area where automatisms and trust matter more than almost anywhere else on the pitch. Even if the incident is framed as heat-of-the-moment, the optics are bad and the sporting cost is real.

Reaction

Fan chatter split into three camps. The first laughed at the sheer novelty. Variations of never seen something like that popped up repeatedly, treating it as pure chaos content. The second camp cried harsh, asking how it could be a red, and even floated the daft idea that the slap might have been aimed at a pundit rather than a player. That kind of rumor mill thrives in loud stadiums and clipped phone angles. The third camp thought the headline read like a club statement drop, which captures how surreal it felt in the moment.

United supporters leaned into the drama. The Stretford End soundtrack fed the momentum, and some fans immediately reframed the game as a control exercise with an extra man. Everton followers were more conflicted. A few defended Gueye as frustrated rather than violent. Others, more pragmatic, accepted the likely suspension and called for internal fines. Neutral observers, as usual, went for the memes first and the law later. Strip the noise, though, and even many skeptics conceded that once the slap was seen clearly, the referee had no alternative under Law 12.

Social reactions

As a United fan how is that a red card, I’m hearing he slapped Keane

Why Are you…. (@WhyAreYou_____)

Amorim and oppo red cards, a better love story than Twilight.

Dark Saint (@DefiledGod)

Never seen something like that 😂😂😂

StretfordStorm (@Stretfordstorm)

Prediction

Short term, Everton will pivot to damage control. Expect a direct apology from the player, a club statement focused on standards, and a fine that underscores the leadership’s line in the sand. The coaching staff will probably rebalance midfield with a stability-first selection, prioritizing ball security and temperament. Training will emphasize escalation control - coded as emotional regulation in modern programs.

On the regulatory side, a standard violent conduct suspension is the baseline. Unless further footage shows aggravating behavior, additional sanctions are unlikely. Everton’s next matches will test squad resilience, especially if the rotation forces a younger midfielder into high-leverage minutes. United, meanwhile, will treat the episode as a springboard. With an extra man they tend to tilt the field, and the tape from this match will reinforce patterns that have worked when opponents drop to 10 - quick switches, late box arrivals, and rest-defense set higher.

Longer term, this could be a hinge moment for Everton’s dressing-room dynamics. If handled cleanly, it becomes a one-off cautionary tale. If not, it risks becoming a reference point opponents use to needle and provoke in future fixtures. Smart clubs close that window fast.

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Conclusion

This looked absurd in the moment, but the call itself was anything but. Law 12 covers violent conduct against anyone, and the referee applied it exactly as written. The game changed on the spot, momentum swung, and a suspension now looms. The broader lesson is straightforward. Discipline is not optional in high-variance Premier League environments. A single action - however brief - can flip the state of a match and the tone of a week.

For Everton, response management matters more than discourse management. Own it, set consequences, move on. For United, turning the numerical edge into control is the marker of a team that understands game states. The memes will fade. The points, the selection choices, and the precedent for dressing-room standards will not. In short, the decision was clear, the impact tangible, and the pathway forward obvious for both sides.