Featured Image Credit: TNT Sports
Topics: Arsenal, Champions League
Tom Marshall-Bailey
TNT Sports have issued a statement after live commentary of the Champions League game between Slavia Prague and Arsenal was brought to a halt midway through the first half.
With the score 0-0 in the Czech capital, the broadcaster was forced to return to the studio where presenter Laura Woods and pundits Owen Hargreaves and Anita Asante took the reins from lead commentator Sam Matterface and co-commentator Martin Keown at the Fortuna Arena.
A statement had appeared on screen to apologise for the inconvenience before Woods interjected by saying: "We are having some problems with Sam and Martin’s microphones in Prague, so I am introducing Owen Hargreaves and Anita Asante in the studio.
"If you two keep being so good at this, we’ll have to replace the two over there!"
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The error coincided with Arsenal's brightest spell of the match as Mikel Arteta's side came back into the contest after a strong start from the home side, with Gabriel and Bukayo Saka going close to scoring as Hargeaves and Asante discussed the action for around 10 minutes.
The problem would prove short-lived, with Matterface and Keown returning to commentate the remainder of the first half as Saka put the Gunners 1-0 up from the penalty spot after Lukas Provod's handball from a corner.
But it didn't stop fans from reacting to the bizarre break in play that led to an eerie 10 or so minutes without any commentary from inside the ground, with some complaints of echoing from both commentators prior to the feed cutting out altogether.
"Anyone else having issues with the commentary on TNT sport," wrote one fan.
Another said: "What is going on with the TNT audio."
While another simply put: "This double audio remix on the TNT commentary of the Arsenal game is an interesting artistic choice."
If the scoreline stays as it is, it would extend Arsenal's perfect start to their Champions League campaign, having already won three matches without conceding before their trip to Prague. The Gunners will also equal a club record of eight consecutive clean sheets in all competitions if they can record another shutout against their Czech hosts.
A TNT Sports spokesperson explained that a technical issue was behind the commentary feed being cut off to fans but it has now been resolved ahead of the second half.