Steven Taylor: "It is not for me to comment, the referee made his decision at the end of the day so I can't say anything about that. I didn't see a thing.
"He (Barton) played fantastically today and he is a big player for us, he was great today."
Alan Pardew: "He dived, there is not doubt about that. Joey has reacted and he grabbed Joey and there was a tussle, and then he slapped him and you can't do that.
"I think Joey was calm, Song did stamp on him (before the sending off) and that is out of character for him and I'm sure he will regret that.
"I spoke to Joey before he went back on the pitch.
"I'm not going to defend Joey to the hilt but his performance today was very good in terms of what has been going on.
"I think in the first game everyone is not quite nailed down and we certainly weren't.
"We were cheap with the ball and I feared Arsenal today. The criticism they have had I thought they would come out of the blocks.
"We got to grips with it and what I am pleased with is the diligence of the side and the way they worked and stuck at it."