Everton manager David Moyes made light of midfielder Idrissa Gueye's sending off for a confrontation with teammate Michael Keane 13 minutes into his side's 1-0 Premier League win away to Manchester United on Monday.
After 17 failed attempts to win a league game at Old Trafford as a visiting manager, Moyes finally enjoyed a victory in unusual circumstances after Everton's Gueye saw red for slapping Keane after a heated exchange.
It was only the third time in Premier League history that a player had been dismissed for a fracas with a teammate and the first time since 2008 when Stoke City's Ricardo Fuller slapped Andy Griffin during a match at West Ham United.
Moyes said that Senegal international Gueye had apologised and that the incident had some positives.
"These things happen in football, I thought the referee could maybe have taken a little bit longer to think about it," the manager said after Everton's first league win at Old Trafford for 12 years and second in their last 33 visits.
"I'm getting told the rules are that if you slap your own player or raise an arm in some way you can be in trouble. But, you know, there's another side of it.
"I quite like my own players fighting each other and getting annoyed with each other because of a bad ball or someone didn't do the right action. If you want a winning team, with the resilience and toughness that got us the result, then I think you've got to have players that are going to react in that way."
Referee Tony Harrington reached for his red card after Gueye aimed a slap at Keane who had shoved the midfielder. Gueye then had to be restrained by Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford.
Despite the incident, Everton became the first team to win a Premier League game at Old Trafford after having a player sent off thanks to a superb goal by Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall.
"I'm incredibly proud of the players and the supporters here today because I know it has been a regular occurrence where we've not got a result here," Moyes said.
"It was never going to be an easy game for us with 11 players, but to do it with 10 players was an incredible job by the players."
Moyes handed Seamus Coleman his first start of the Premier League season on the back of the Donegal full-back's performances for the Republic of Ireland against both Portugal and Hungary.
However, Coleman's evening ended very prematurely, the 37-year old being withdrawn after 10 minutes with Moyes confirming afterwards that he "felt a nick in his hamstring."
He was replaced by international team-mate Jake O'Brien who was part of the successful defensive effort for the remainder of the evening.
After the game, Geuye took to social media on Monday night to apologise.
"I want to apologise first to my team-mate Michael Keane. I take full responsibility for my reaction. I also apologise to my teammates, the staff, the fans and the club.
"What happened does not reflect who I am or the values I stand for. Emotions can run high, but nothing justifies such behaviour. I'll make sure it never happens again."
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."
Additional reporting: PA
