Former England goalkeeper Joe Hart said "something must have been brewing" between Idrissa Gueye and Michael Keane before the red card incident early in Everton's win at Manchester United on Monday.
Defender Keane twice pushed Gueye away before the midfielder slapped him on the cheek in the 13th minute at Old Trafford.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementEverton's England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford separated the pair before referee Tony Harrington showed Gueye a straight red card for violent conduct.
"The referee wasn't even close enough to hear what Gueye was saying but he was in Keane's face, who is considerably bigger than him and shoved him off with one arm," said Hart on BBC Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club.
"When he came over to continue the argument, the referee just casually walked over and sent him off. Pickford did very well in the situation.
"If that's all that happened though, it isn't a red card. Something must have been brewing between the two of them."
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementFormer assistant referee Darren Cann, who officiated in more than 1,000 professional matches, described the clash between Gueye and Keane as "unusual".
Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live, he added: "Tony Harrington was looking directly at the confrontation. He had an unobstructed view and clearly saw Gueye slap Keane around the face, so in the laws of football that would constitute violent conduct and a red card is the correct decision.
"It doesn't matter if it is on an opponent, team-mate or spectator as it is still an act of violent conduct.
"For Keane's push to be violent conduct, it would need to be on the face as opposed to on the chest.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement"Of course, you can still be sent off if you punch somebody in the chest, but I would suggest that Keane's push away was more him telling Gueye to get off him."
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[BBC]
[BBC]
