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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Sport
Sam Tabuteau

Ranked: The best team-mate bust-ups after Idrissa Gueye and Michael Keane clash

Lee Bowyer and Kieron Dyer had a punch-up in 2005 - (Getty Images)

Idrissa Gueye became just the third Premier League player to be sent off for fighting his own team-mate during Everton’s 1-0 win over Manchester United on Monday.

The midfielder was shown a red card in the 13th minute for slapping Everton centre-back Michael Keane as the pair clashed at Old Trafford.

Referee Tony Harrington showed Gueye a straight red card for violent conduct.

Gueye later apologised, while Everton rallied to seal a famous 1-0 victory.

Here, Standard Sport ranks the biggest on-pitch bust-ups over the years...

1 - Newcastle’s Lee Bowyer and Kieron Dyer, 2005

Perhaps the most infamous coming together between two team-mates, Lee Bowyer and Kieran Dyer were both sent off for fighting during Newcastle’s 3-0 defeat to Aston Villa in 2005.

Newcastle had already been reduced to 10 men when the pair exchanged punches in a heated brawl that eventually had to be broken up by Villa midfielder Gareth Barry and their Newcastle team-mates.

Dyer was handed a three-game suspension and Bowyer was given a seven-game suspension.

both sheepishly apologised for their actions.

2 - Blackburn’s David Batty and Graeme Le Saux, 1995

Blackburn’s only campaign in the Champions League is sadly best remembered for Graeme Le Saux’s punch on team-mate David Batty just four minutes into a 3-0 defeat to Spartak Moscow.

On a bitterly cold evening in Russia, the pair ran for the same ball on the left-hand touchline and got in each other’s way.

Play continued, but when the camera panned back, the two players were at each other’s throats, with Le Saux throwing a left-handed punch in Batty’s direction.

Le Saux would later admit he broke his hand as a result of the punch.

4) Liverpool’s Bruce Grobbelaar and Steve McManaman, 1993

Steve McManaman felt the full force of Bruce Grobbelaar’s fury during a Merseyside Derby in 1993.

McManaman’s weak clearance had led to Everton opening the scoring from a corner, and a furious Grobbelaar could not contain his anger, charging off his line to push the young Liverpool winger in the face.

Neither player was sent off but Liverpool went on to lose 2-0, with the altercation reportedly continuing in the dressing room.

4 - Stoke’s Ricardo Fuller and Andy Griffin, 2008

Everything appeared to be going to plan for newly promoted Stoke, who were 1-0 up away to West Ham in their debut Premier League campaign.

That was until captain Andy Griffin slipped to allow Carlton Cole to equalise.

Griffin’s mistake prompted an angry reaction from striker Riccardo Fuller, who slapped his captain before being sent off.

With Stoke down to 10 men, they conceded a late winner to compound an embarrassing afternoon.

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