The Premier League Match Centre have confirmed that Idrissa Gana Gueye was sent off for a ‘clear strike to the face’ in a baffling incident with his team-mate Michael Keane away at Manchester United. The two EvertonEverton FCplayers engaged in a furious disagreement in their own penalty box after a mishap between them led to a Bruno Fernandes shot that went wide just 13 minutes into the match. And Gueye appeared to slap Keane in the face after being pushed by the centre-back as the pair exchanged heated words.

Referee Tony Harrington controversially issued a straight red to Gueye. Keane could be seen telling Gueye that his actions were stupid after his dismissal, which only riled the Senegalese midfielder further. It is the first time a red card has been shown to a player for fighting his own team-mate since Ricardo Fuller slapped his captain Andy Griffin as Stoke lost to West Ham in December 2008.

And the Premier League’s X account that provides information directly from Match Centre and the VAR Hub confirmed: “#MUNEVE – 13′ The referee’s call of red card to Gueye for violent conduct was checked and confirmed by VAR – with the action deemed to be a clear strike to the face of Keane.”

The Premier League’s rules dictate that a red card should be shown for “striking an opponent or any other person, on the head or face with their hand or arm, unless the force used was negligible.”

Gary Neville, commentating on the match for Sky Sports, felt that a red was unnecessary because the force was not overly excessive. He said: “There’s a coming-together between him and Keane. It always looks unsavoury when it’s team-mate on team-mate. There’s not much in it. Jordan Pickford does a very good job, to be fair to him.

“How much venom was in that slap? He has been sent off for that. Was it a little slap or a proper whack? There is no doubt a hand comes out to the face but it didn’t look too much.

“They might have had to send him off purely because there is a strike to the face.” Upon seeing another replay, the United legend added: “There’s not much in that. Maybe it looks a bit more aggressive from that side but it’s a tap. It wasn’t a scrap. It could have been dealt with by a yellow, is my gut feeling. I don’t think it needed to be a red card.”

Offering his analysis of the incident at half-time, Jamie Carragher said on Sky Sports: “Howard Webb and the referee will look at that and think they haven’t made a mistake. You look at the rule, you look at the wording… I just think sometimes, can a referee manage the situation a little bit?

“Could you just get the two of them together and say ‘ay, behave yourselves, come on’ and manage the situation rather than saying ‘that’s the rule book, I’m just going off exactly that.’ When you look at the rule, it gives the referee a little bit of an out. He could say ‘I didn’t think it was over the top’ and we carry on 11v11.”

Portugal boss Roberto Martinez, appearing alongside Carragher, said: “I was very surprised. Clearly it’s a misunderstanding. It’s that reaction, that slap, that open hand. We’ve been talking about it – the referee has no other choice. When you see it there, the law tells you any aggression that goes above the neck is a red card.”