Did Bukayo Saka’s hand give Paris Saint-Germain a penalty against Arsenal?

A nightmare start for Paris Saint-Germain. Though Luis Enrique’s side dominated possession in the first 15 minutes (78% to Arsenal’s 22%), they found themselves trailing 0-1 in the Champions League final on Saturday in Budapest. The opening goal came just five minutes in when Marquinhos misjudged a clearance, allowing Leandro Trossard to inadvertently set up Kai Havertz for a deep run. The German striker then took on Matvey Safonov before unleashing a thunderous strike under the crossbar (5’).

Within moments, PSG thought they had equalized. Shortly after the quarter-hour mark, Bukayo Saka received a corner from Ousmane Dembélé. The England international, positioned just outside the box, deflected the ball onto his arms before touching it a third time with his hand. The Parisians immediately protested for a penalty, but to no avail. Match referee Daniel Siebert of Germany and the video assistant referee chose not to intervene.

Did Saka deliberately expand his body’s coverage?

Under IFAB Law 12, not every ball-to-hand contact constitutes a foul. A handball offense occurs only if it is deliberate or if the player unnaturally expands their body’s surface area to intercept the ball. In this case, Saka’s outstretched arms appear to be a natural reaction to clearing the ball, rather than an intentional act to increase coverage. Officials likely determined that his position was justified by the movement required to deal with the cross.

Nevertheless, the decision sparked fierce debate online. Some fans argued that Saka had “touched the ball 27 times with his hands in two seconds,” while others mocked the situation with hashtags like “VArsenal.” Conversely, others defended the call, stating, “He made it himself like Neves’ hand in Munich,” or insisting, “There’s nothing to penalize here.” At halftime, despite several chances, Paris Saint-Germain had failed to equalize.