Referee Michael Oliver loses radio communication during Chelsea and Brighton match

Referee Michael Oliver officiated the second half of the Chelsea and Brighton Premier League match without radio support on Sunday at Stamford Bridge. The communications system failed to filter out crowd noise, making it impossible for Oliver and his assistants to hear one another. This technical failure marks the first time in approximately 20 years that Premier League officials have operated without electronic headsets during a match. Video assistant referee Andrew Kitchen remained in contact with the fourth official, Tom Bramall, through radio, while communicating with Oliver via a back-up system on his watch. These technical issues forced the video assistant referee to complete reviews without the direct input of the head referee's perspective. Chelsea eventually secured a 4-3 victory in the contest.

• 5:41 PMYahoo Sports — Tech trouble leaves Chelsea game ref without comms
• 5:41 PMBBC Sport — Tech trouble leaves Chelsea game ref without comms