In what was one of the more dour FA Cup finals in recent memory, Chelsea's 1-0 defeat of Manchester United came down to a penalty. Scored by the Belgian Eden Hazard, it was not the most contentious spot-kick decision referee Michael Oliver was involved in last season.
A highly-rated young referee, thanks to the American network NBCSN we can now realise just how difficult the conditions are that Oliver and any other elite level referee goes through during such a game.
Trialed during last year's FA Cup, Oliver was in constant communication not only with his linesmen and fourth official, but the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) also.
Displaying the build up to the penalty decision, we are presented with the conversation that Oliver and all of the above were having during the entirety of the move. A particularly trying few moments given how quickly Chelsea transitioned from the edge of their own box into Manchester United's, one is left baffled as to how Oliver can make any sense of what is being said in his here.
Along with trying to judge proceedings with his own eyes, listen to the instructions of those who may be better places, and keep up with the pace of the game, it makes for an incredibly stressful listen.
When the decision is made after the clumsy tackle on Hazard, one can really appreciate how difficult the job of the referee becomes. Informed that VAR will have a look at it, Oliver also has to deal with the United players coming in from all angles to present their view of proceedings.
Having to maintain so many lines of communication at one given time, it is amazing to consider the difficulties a referee could encounter in a game that offers many more contentious moments than the one in question.
