David Moyes raised eyebrows after Everton's shock win at Old Trafford, admitting he actually likes seeing his players "fighting each other" - as long as it comes from a place of demanding higher standards.

The Everton boss made the remark in the wake of Idrissa Gueye's red card for slapping teammate Michael Keane during their 1-0 victory over Manchester United, a bizarre flashpoint that turned into a statement win.

The incident came just 13 minutes into the match, when Gueye reacted angrily to being berated by Keane for a sloppy pass. The midfielder stormed over to the centre-half and struck him in the face, prompting referee Tony Harrington to immediately brandish a straight red.

Match-winner Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall later described it as a "moment of madness," but Everton somehow regrouped. Despite being down to 10 men, they took the lead through a brilliant strike from Dewsbury-Hall and then defended resolutely, restricting United to only a few real chances as they chased an equalizer.

Gueye apologizes to Keane, and Moyes encourages him

After the game, Moyes revealed that Gueye had apologized to the squad in the dressing room - and the 36-year-old later posted a lengthy message on Instagram, accepting full responsibility.

"I want to apologise first to my teammate, Michael Keane. I take full responsibility for my reaction," Gueye wrote, also extending his apology to the rest of the team, staff, fans, and the club. He added that the outburst "does not reflect who I am or the values I stand for" and vowed it would never happen again.

Moyes, however, took a nuanced stance. While admitting he was "disappointed" by the red card, he suggested there was another side to the confrontation.

He said he was told that slapping your own player is automatically trouble under the laws of the game, but added:

"I like my players fighting each other, if someone didn't do the right action... If you want that toughness and resilience to get a result, you want someone to act on it."

Despite everything, Everton pulled off the victory

The Scot insisted such flare-ups happen in football and highlighted that Gueye had praised and thanked his teammates for digging deep with 10 men.

The result lifts Everton to 11th place, even moving them above struggling rivals Liverpool in the table, while United's defeat puts a dent in their push for European football after what had looked like a recent resurgence.