The Parisian side endured a nightmare start to the final. Despite dominating possession in the opening 15 minutes (78% to 22%), it was Arsenal who struck first on Saturday in Budapest. The champions-elect conceded the opener in the 5th minute after Marquinhos’ misguided clearance landed on Leandro Trossard, inadvertently setting Kai Havertz free. On the left flank, the German advanced past Matvey Safonov before unleashing a thunderous strike under the crossbar (5th).

Was Saka’s positioning unnatural?

Under the IFAB Laws of the Game, not every ball-to-hand contact constitutes an offense. A handball is penalized only if it is deliberate or if the player unnaturally increases the space covered by his body. The latter applies when the arm or hand position is not a result of the player’s body movement or cannot be justified by such movement.

In this instance, Saka’s arms were clearly away from his body, suggesting his position was a natural consequence of clearing the ball. Officials likely concluded that his action did not artificially expand his reach.

The decision sparked fierce debate online. Some accused the player of excessive use of his hands, while others defended the referee’s call, arguing that the contact was incidental. At halftime, PSG had failed to equalize despite creating a few opportunities, none of which were truly clear-cut.