David Moyes not concerned by Idrissa Gana Gueye’s red for fighting team-mate

David Moyes refused to condemn Idrissa Gana Gueye for his bizarre red card as Everton clung on to beat Manchester United 1-0 and give the Scot his first win at Old Trafford as a visiting manager.

Gueye saw red 13 minutes in to the game, squaring up to team-mate Michael Keane and slapping the defender as they argued over a mis-placed pass which gave Bruno Fernandes a shooting chance he could not convert.

That left Everton under the cosh but Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall’s fine 29th-minute goal gave them a lead, then they fought doggedly to defend against an increasingly frustrated United side who saw a five-game unbeaten run come to an end.

“When I saw it I didn’t think there was anything in it,” Moyes said. “I was a bit annoyed they were challenging each other but I was also quite pleased they were fighting each other because it shows me they cared.

“At Everton we’re trying to demand higher standards. I can’t quite work out if it was Keano’s bad ball or Gana’s bad ball or whatever but if we hadn’t got that fight, that resilience they showed we would never have got through the rest of the game.

“We came up against an improving Manchester United side, most people were here to watch Manchester United but Everton stood up to what we had to do.”

Moyes said Gueye, 36, had apologised to his team-mates after the game and added: “There’s no problem, we move on.”

The midfielder posted on Instagram after the match: “I want to apologise first to my team-mate Michael Keane. I want to take full responsibility for my action.

“I also apologise to my team-mates, the staff, the fans and the club. Emotions can run high but nothing justifies such behaviour.”

Former United boss Moyes had previously stood in the opposition dugout at Old Trafford 17 times without ever getting a win, making it all the more remarkable that these should be the circumstances in which that changed.

“If you’d have said to me when we went went to 10 men we were going to get a result, still at 0-0, I’d have said that would be really tough,” he said. “That was a brilliant, brilliant performance from the players.

“Resilience, toughness, commitments, all the words you want as a manager and a great goal as well.”

Ruben Amorim could only wish he had seen the same sort of fight from his own players, who had been second best against 11-man Everton and remained second best before the break in a tepid first-half display, only turning up the heat late on as Everton dug in.

“I felt since the first moment, you can feel it,” Amorim said as he complained about a lack of intensity.

“Fighting is not a bad thing,” he added. “Fighting doesn’t mean you don’t like each other. Fighting means you lose the ball and I will fight you because we will suffer a goal. That was my feeling.

“I don’t agree with that red card. We can fight with team-mates. I know it’s violent conduct because the referee explained but I don’t agree.

“I hope my players, when they lose the ball, they fight each other – thought they cannot get sent off! But that is a good feeling, not a bad feeling.”

Defeat left United down in 10th place, where victory could have sent them fifth.

“I know which point we are at,” Amorim added. “I had the feeling during this run and I also talk about it – we are not even near the point to fight for the best positions in the league. We have a lot to do.”