Great Britain’s Katarina Johnson-Thompson claimed her first global title on this day in 2018, winning the pentathlon at the World Indoor Championships in Birmingham.

The then 25-year-old finished 50 points ahead of Austria’s Ivona Dadic and 113 in front of Cuba’s Yorgelis Rodriguez to take victory with 4750 points.

It ended a series of disappointments in heptathlon after she finished fifth at the 2017 World Championships in London, sixth at the Rio 2016 Olympics and 28th at the World Championships in Beijing the year before that.

Johnson-Thompson said: “I am so happy. I have a busy year and this gives me confidence and belief going to the Commonwealth Games (in Gold Coast that April) that I can compete at a certain level and come away with a medal and not screw it up.

“It means the world. It is something I have been trying to do since 2012 when I stepped onto the international scene.

“I was disappointed last year I wasn’t able to do it outdoors.

“After the last couple of years I have had, there was no pressure on me because I have not done too well.

“I am just happy that I can kick start this year as a gold medallist.”

Johnson-Thompson went on in 2018 to claim gold for England at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games and silver at the European Championships in Berlin.

She has since secured world heptathlon titles in 2019 in Doha and 2023 in Budapest, while she retained her Commonwealth title in Birmingham in 2022.

Jack Draper retired in the third set of his semi-final against Australian Alex de Minaur at the Mexican Open in Acapulco.

Draper left the court 4-0 down in the final set because of an undisclosed illness after he staged a strong comeback from a set down to the defending champion.

The Australian started strongly, taking the first 6-3 and capitalising on four of six break points – the first set Draper had dropped in the tournament.

But the British number three staged a valiant comeback, winning the second set 6-2 with some strong returns.

His illness became an issue towards the end of the second set with the 22-year-old receiving treatment from the physiotherapist and tournament doctor.

Things only got worse in the third set as the Australian won four consecutive games before Draper retired from the match.

De Minaur said after the match that he wishes Draper a “speedy recovery”.

“He’s a hell of a player, a hell of a talent and I hope it’s nothing too serious,” he said.

Rory McIlroy carded a four-under-par 67 for the second successive day to finish three strokes off the pace following round two of the Cognizant Classic in Florida.

Northern Irishman McIlroy is among eight players tied for sixth place, alongside Ireland’s Shane Lowry and England’s David Skinns, after hitting six birdies and two bogeys on Friday.

McIlroy said that while he “didn’t get off to the greatest of starts”, he bounced back to finish strongly.

“I think it is just one of those courses where you have just got to stay super patient, knowing that the scoring is good, but people aren’t going to get away from you here,” he said.

“I think I did a good job of staying patient until the end and that patience was rewarded.”

Lowry has also posted consecutive scores of 67, while world number 278 Skinns, who is without a top-10 finish on the PGA Tour, posted a two-under-par 69 following his opening-day 65.

Bud Cauley leads the way on 11 under par, with fellow American Austin Eckroat and South Africa’s Garrick Higgo each one shot behind.

The last time Cauley was in the top five after any round was at the 2020 PGA Championship.

Belgium’s Thomas Detry is in last position – 11 over par – after he six-putted the 461-yard par-four sixth hole from 57 feet, despite knocking his first effort to eight feet.

The 31-year-old finished with a quadruple bogey and the most putts on one hole on the PGA Tour in four years.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino has emphatically ruled out the prospect of blue cards playing any part in a future sin bin trial.

The cards were set to be the signal which would be used by referees to show that a player had been temporarily dismissed in sin bin trial protocols which were due for publication on February 9, and had been signed off at a board meeting of the game’s lawmaking body, the International Football Association Board, earlier that week.

However, when reports about blue cards circulated on February 8 they received a largely negative reaction, and the IFAB pulled the plug on the day scheduled for publication, citing the need for further talks at the organisation’s annual general meeting this weekend.

On the eve of Saturday’s meeting in Loch Lomond, Infantino said: “There will not be any blue cards used at elite level. This is a topic that is non-existent for us.

“FIFA is completely opposed to blue cards. I was not aware of this topic. I’m the president of FIFA, and I think FIFA has a say in the IFAB. So, I don’t know if you want the title, ‘It’s red card to the blue card’!

“Every proposal and every idea has to be treated with respect, of course. But, once you look at it, you also have to protect the game, the essence of the game, the tradition of the game, and there is no blue card.”

The introduction of a blue card at the level initially envisaged in the trial would have been the biggest single change in the management of player discipline since the introduction of red and yellow cards at the 1970 World Cup.

It is understood the trial itself will continue to be developed, but it is expected it will now take place at a much lower footballing level than was anticipated by the original February 9 protocol, which was set to encourage applications from all but the very top-level competitions.

The Football Association, one of the five bodies which makes up the IFAB, had been understood to have been interested in running a trial in the men’s and women’s FA Cups in the future, before the furore around blue cards.

The trial will also require a new signal to be used instead of the blue card. In grassroots football, referees show a yellow card and point to the touchline.

There are also set to be further talks on Saturday about whether any sin bin trial should include tactical fouls, as well as dissent. Also under the original protocol, all players on the pitch, including goalkeepers, could be temporarily dismissed.

Sin bin trials were one of four protocols set for publication last month before the blue card story broke.

The IFAB is also seeking to trial allowing referees the option of creating a ‘captain-only zone’ around them when they feel threatened or intimidated, and a trial where referees can send teams to their respective penalty areas to cool off in the event of mass confrontations.

All of these, including the sin bin protocols, are ultimately intended to improve player behaviour at higher levels, something Infantino has said is essential to set the right example to young players and ensure people still feel safe, and encouraged, to be referees.

Another trial that had been set for publication on February 9 concerned how long goalkeepers can handle the ball, and how play should restart when they hold on too long.

Currently keepers can hold on for six seconds and anything over that is supposed to be penalised with an indirect free-kick, but lawmakers are concerned this is not being properly enforced which is why a trial has been developed.

The management of head injuries is also on the AGM agenda.

The World Leagues Forum and world players’ union FIFPRO have again written to the IFAB asking for permission to trial temporary concussion substitutes, something which was again rejected at last year’s AGM in London.

The player union and domestic league in Scotland, this year’s host nation for the AGM, are among those seeking the right to conduct such a trial.

“From our perspective, we have a responsibility to those former players who are sadly living with dementia,” PFA Scotland chief executive Fraser Wishart said.

“But we also have to take responsibility as a game – whether it’s the unions, leagues, the government bodies – for current players and future players, to minimise the chances, as much as we possibly can, of players getting dementia. We’re involved in this initiative because we do feel that temporary concussion subs are the next step forward.”

Trials of permanent concussion substitutes were first approved by the IFAB in December 2020.

Carlos Corberan recognised the significance of West Brom’s win over Coventry as they moved seven points clear of the play-off chasing pack.

Mikey Johnston’s stunning strike handed Albion an early lead before Grady Diangana put them two up at the break.

Coventry came back and Haji Wright halved the deficit from the spot but despite late pressure Albion held out for a key three points to stretch their to-six cushion ahead of Saturday’s fixtures.

Baggies boss Corberan said: “An important result, it was important to win today.

“We were dominant in the first half, we found solutions to break the press and we controlled the ball in the middle of the pitch, without having too many opportunities.

“But the opportunities we had we finished them with a lot of accuracy.

“I knew the second half was going to be a challenge because they were aggressive in the middle in the first half and we lost the ball, and we needed to avoid that in the second half, it would be one of the keys of the game.

“Little by little we started to lose control of the ball and control of the game. They found options to be more in our (half) than the way we wanted to play.

“In the penalty they achieved an action in one minute when there was a lot of time to play.

“We then rediscovered control of the game when we changed to play with a five.

“We know that every game is going to be key with the value of every game being the same with three points.”

Sky Blues boss Mark Robins said his side’s first-half display was a “nothing performance”.

He said: “I think in the first half we were too passive. We couldn’t get out and gave them too much of the ball and they are a quality team, let’s face it.

“They’re in the play-offs for a reason, they have a strong squad with players who have know-how and little bits of nous, good quality and confidence.

“We did have three good chances in the first half but in the second we were more aggressive, the mindset changed.

“We didn’t move well enough, it was a nothing performance in the first half.

“In the second it was much, much better, we managed to get hold of the ball, got back in it with the penalty, and we had enough time to get back in the game but we conceded two poor goals.

“We had bodies in there for Johnston’s goal and Diangana ghosts in too easily.

“And we didn’t lay a glove on them in the first half – but Ben (Wilson) hasn’t had a save to make.

“Then late on we didn’t have a calmness.”

Luke Littler says seeing Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp talk about him was just another day in his crazy life.

Klopp compared his young band of players, who helped win the Carabao Cup last week and then earn a quarter-final spot in the FA Cup, to the 17-year-old, who the German described as the “new darts sensation”.

Littler, who advanced to the last 32 of the UK Open on Friday night, burst onto the scene at the World Championship over Christmas.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Professional Darts Corporation (@officialpdc)

His historic run to the final saw him transcend the sport and become a global star, so seeing Klopp reference him was nothing out of the ordinary.

Littler, a staunch Manchester United fan, said: “I actually watched the final and the young lads are doing well, but if he wants to compares them to me then he can.

“I actually woke up and someone told me that he compared me to his young lads, so I went online and watched the video.

“I gave it a like and went on to the next video. That was literally another day in my life.”

Littler is gunning for his first major title since joining the main PDC Tour at the start of the year and he looked the part in his opening match at Butlin’s in Minehead.

He averaged over 100 and produced four 100-plus finishes, including a ‘Big Fish’, as he beat James Wade 10-7.

With Michael van Gerwen surprisingly crashing out, Littler is now the favourite to win.

“I have not even thought about it, but I know if my game is there every match then I don’t see why I can’t win it,” he said.

“I don’t mind who I play. It is what I dreamed of, playing in front of thousands every week, I just take it in my stride.”

Three-time champion Van Gerwen was below par as he was dumped out at the first hurdle by Mensur Suljovic.

The Austrian has been in the darting doldrums in recent years, but posted a standout win, outplaying Van Gerwen, who appeared to be nursing an elbow injury.

Suljovic said: “I beat Michael van Gerwen, the best player in the world. I am feeling good, I am practising every day, I am a different person.

“I had a big problem with my family, I came back and practice every day, and hope I can do well in the tournament.”

Andrew Gilding began the defence of his 2023 title with a 10-7 win over Josh Payne and intends to celebrate by eating a Pot Noodle.

‘Goldfinger’ was a surprise winner last year when he beat Van Gerwen in a thrilling final and finished so late he had nothing to eat except the instant snack.

“When I won it last year there were no takeaways open so I had to eat a Pot Noodle to celebrate,” he said. “So I actually brought a couple of Pot Noodles and I’ll eat one tonight out of tradition.

“I have got a chicken and mushroom or beef and tomato. Maybe I’ll have beef and tomato with a little bit of extra ketchup, I bring my own.”

Former world champion Michael Smith said he was unable to celebrate his 10-7 win over Josh Cullen in the same way because he had already eaten one for lunch.

“I had a Pot Noodle for lunch before I came here so that’s out of the window,” he said. “I have a standing order, I get some sent every month.”

Gerwyn Price was beaten 10-9 by Martin Schindler, but there were wins for world number one Luke Humphries, Gary Anderson and Nathan Aspinall.

Kylian Mbappe was substituted at half-time as runaway Ligue 1 leaders Paris St Germain were held to a goalless draw at his former club Monaco.

France star Mbappe, who is set leave PSG in the summer, waved to home supporters at Stade Louis II as he emerged from the tunnel to take a seat in the stands for the second period.

The 25-year-old forward had little impact on the opening 45 minutes and it was unclear whether his premature departure was due to an injury.

He was pictured grimacing and holding his right leg at one stage.

Mbappe was also withdrawn by head coach Luis Enrique 25 minutes from time in last weekend’s 1-1 draw with Rennes.

PSG were indebted to a string of first-half saves from goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma in securing a stalemate which extends their lead over second-placed Brest to 12 points.

Monaco, who also hit the crossbar through Wissam Ben Yedder in the second half, remain third, a point behind Brest.

Yet the major talking point centred on PSG captain Mbappe, who opted against sitting alongside team-mates after being replaced by Randal Kolo Muani.

The reigning French champions arrived in the principality seeking to return to winning ways having required a last-gasp Goncalo Ramos penalty to salvage a point at home to Rennes five days ago.

Enrique’s side were second best for much of the opening period.

Impressive Italy international Donnarumma repelled former Arsenal forward Folarin Balogun early on before producing two fine saves to deny ex-Liverpool man Takumi Minamino.

PSG also survived a major scare in the 25th minute when the hosts had the ball in the net. Monaco captain Ben Yedder coolly rounded Donnarumma and rolled home after the lively Balogun caused problems for the visitors’ defence, only to be flagged offside.

Marco Asensio, who limped off injured before the break, had PSG’s best chance of the first half but he directed his effort too close to Monaco keeper Radoslaw Majecki.

Following the headline-grabbing scenes of Mbappe walking around the stadium’s running track to take up position among the crowd, PSG actually looked a greater threat.

However, they narrowly escaped just before the hour mark when Ben Yedder cracked the woodwork with a sizzling volley.

Poland international Majecki was busier in the second period and produced a strong save to deny PSG midfielder Vitinha.

Despite applying sustained late pressure, the away team could not snatch victory as they switch focus to their Champions League last-16 second leg at Real Sociedad amid question marks over Mbappe.

Despite long-standing claims he does not like football, winning matters to Arsenal defender Ben White.

The 26-year-old England international carries a reputation as someone who sees his sport as a job and something he has no passion for.

White, though, insists that is not the case and just because he does not go home and watch every live football match he can get his eyes on should not suggest otherwise.

“I know people say I don’t like football, but I go home and football is not on my mind. I can just be a normal person, relax. When I’m in here (training) it is intense,” he said.

“It’s come from since I was young. I want to win everything that I do. My missus and I play a lot of games at home and I won’t be letting her win. We play bat and ball a lot, Uno, this magnet game. That’s sort of it.

“I remember being young and always wanting to win and play aggressive and do as much as I could to win.

And if he is losing to his wife at any of those games, it is simple: “Yeah, the ball gets lost!”

White has become a key component of Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal side that, for a second year running, has Premier League title ambitions.

Arteta sees White as someone willing to go into battle for his team, something of a warrior, and White revealed he knows his duties ahead of every game is to win the one-on-one battle with the opposing winger.

“Before the game we have instructions of how they are going to do well in the game and what processes they have to be able to hurt us,” added former Brighton man White.

“(Against Newcastle) Anthony Gordon was one of them, my job was to stop him rolling inside so I had to get as tight as possible, otherwise foul him.

“He’s going inside if not. Every game, normally the winger is the best player so its always a challenge and I have to do my homework and try and stop him.

“I know I’m not going to stop everyone and I know I’m not the best one-v-one defender but I know I can do things to help the team in game situations against their winger.”

Arsenal ultimately ran out 4-1 winners against Newcastle on Saturday night, the latest in a string of impressive performances and eye-catching results for the Gunners.

“We haven’t got anything, so there is nothing to lose,” White replied when asked about Arsenal being the chasers in the title run-in against Liverpool and Manchester City.

“We are just going to go out there, do our best, and try and perform like we have the last few games.”

Ange Postecoglou has advised his Tottenham players to take social media with a pinch of salt after a difficult week for Ryan Sessegnon.

Full-back Sessegnon had surgery on his right hamstring on Monday, after an operation on his left hamstring last summer, and called for people to “be careful what you say online” in a post on his social media channels.

Sessegnon, 23, has endured a torrid time with injuries and faced plenty of abuse on Twitter and Instagram over his fitness woes, but boss Postecoglou likened those platforms to a prison yard.

“I guess the easy thing to say is, ‘look just stay off social media,’ and that’s easy for me to say,” Postecoglou said.

“I can do that but I guess for younger people it’s a vehicle for them or a platform for them to have a voice, which I kind of understand.

“They’ve also got to be mature enough to also know that sometimes the audience, I think for want of a better term, social media is like walking into the prison yard and saying you’re innocent.

“You’re not going to get a hell of a lot of sympathy. Most of it is going to be coming back at you.

“If you’re kind of prepared for that then (fine), but if you’re jumping into there to try and feel good, my sense of it is, I’m not all over it but you’ll rarely come away from it feeling really good about yourself.

“Even with the most genuine of reasons for saying what you want to say or putting out what you want to put out. It’s just that kind of platform you’re invariably going to come away from thinking I probably shouldn’t have said anything.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Tottenham Hotspur (@spursofficial)

Sessegnon is set to spend the rest of the season on the treatment table and is currently joined by Richarlison, who suffered a knee injury during the 2-1 home defeat to Wolves on February 17.

Richarlison is not expected to return until after the international break and Postecoglou will also be without Pedro Porro (muscle) for Saturday’s visit of Crystal Palace.

Fifth-placed Tottenham will aim to get their Champions League qualification hopes back on track against Palace and their manager expressed his frustration at the stop-start nature of their campaign.

Early cup exits mean Spurs will only play 41 matches this season and asked if they can make the most of Aston Villa and Manchester United juggling cup commitments, Postecoglou admitted: “I don’t know.

“It depends how you use that time. If you ask me would I rather be in Europe? Absolutely, 1000 per cent I’d rather be in Europe at this time playing games.

“A club like us, who want to compete at the highest level against the best, you need a strong squad and to have a strong squad you need consistent games, consistent game time and opportunities.

“At the moment, if we get an injury then we’re liable to throw in somebody who hasn’t played for four or five weeks. It’s not easy on that player.

“Whereas if you’ve got games, there’s a natural rotation that you need to make all the time and also gives you a little bit of rhythm.

“I had the other extreme last year of 60-plus games at Celtic, but I found that a lot easier to manage than having a disrupted season like we’ve had this year.”

Mauricio Pochettino insists Reece James will not be rushed back from the hamstring injury that has disrupted his season, even if a delayed return costs him a place in England’s Euro 2024 squad.

The club captain has made just eight Premier League appearances this campaign and is at risk of missing out on a second international tournament in as many years, having been ruled out of the 2022 World Cup with a knee problem.

He featured only 16 times in the league last season when a combination of knee and hamstring injuries kept him on the sidelines for club and country.

And after being forced off during August’s 1-1 draw with Liverpool he has had even worse luck this term.

The 24-year-old, who has only once in his Chelsea career reached 30 league appearances in a season, teased on social media this week that “the comeback is coming” and has returned to the training pitch, albeit working separately from his team-mates.

However, with a history of recurring fitness problems, Pochettino was understandably cautious about reintroducing him and was adamant he would not be hurried back for the sake of his international place.

“I cannot say the date of when it’s possible,” said the Argentinian. “His target and our target is for him to be fit and feel happy and well. Then we’ll see about the possibility of going to the Euros or not, or to be ready for next season or to play before we finish this season.

“The most important thing now is to build his confidence, his physical condition, to recover all the good feelings.

“The target is not to try and play the last five games or in the Euros or pre-season. The target is to build again his confidence and to feel strong, then to start to play when he feels strong and can deal again with the competition.”

Despite establishing himself as a key figure for Chelsea when fit, James has so far made just a single major tournament appearance, starting for Gareth Southgate’s side in a goalless draw with Scotland at Euro 2020.

He looked set to be a member of the squad in Qatar until a knee injury in a Champions League match against AC Milan scuppered his chances.

“I didn’t speak with (Southgate),” said Pochettino. “But we have spoken people involved in (the FA), medical, performance people.

“It’s not ‘now I can go on the pitch, I can play’. It’s to be sure we can go to the competition and he can feel strong and can forget all that has happened in the past.”

James will be one of seven players unavailable to Pochettino at Brentford on Saturday.

Injures have severely disrupted the seasons of Christopher Nkunku, Romeo Lavia, Lesley Ugochukwu and Carney Chukwuemeka, whilst Wesley Fofana is likely to be forced to miss the entire campaign.

The manager reiterated his frustration at the impact injuries have had on his first season in charge.

“When you start the season, you put in your head the idea of the potential of the squad,” he said. “When you think about Nkunku, Reece, (Ben) Chilwell or Fofana, Lavia, (Moises) Caicedo, you imagine the players in the best place, with all their potential.

“Then when the circumstances happen, of course it’s about translating the reality. If you go back and say ‘no, you said we can play to win the Premier League’ – when you see the possibility that you have with the squad, then of course.

“But then with the circumstance, the reality, we’ve had 10, 12 players every single week out. That will affect the performance of the team.”

West Brom moved seven points clear of the Sky Bet Championship play-off chasing pack thanks to a narrow 2-1 win over top-six rivals Coventry.

Celtic loan star Mikey Johnston scored another wonder goal to hand Albion an early lead before Grady Diangana doubled their advantage.

Substitute Haji Wright scored from the penalty spot for Coventry, but it was West Brom who took the spoils to strength their play-off ambitions.

The hosts led after just seven minutes after Johnston showed again exactly why head coach Carlos Corberan brought him to the club.

Johnston picked up the ball out wide before dancing past a number of Coventry defenders and curling home beyond Ben Wilson.

Albion enjoyed much of the early pressure but, after a couple of warning strikes from distance, Josh Eccles almost finished off a neat short-corner routine from the visitors.

The ball was worked out to the edge of the area, however, his curling effort was mistimed and it dropped just wide of the post.

Kasey Palmer then went close from distance before the home side extended their advantage 10 minutes before half-time.

Tom Fellows got himself half a yard on Jay Dasilva and was able to cut a cross back to Diangana, who volleyed in off the inside of the post.

It was a clinical display from Albion in the first period – with their only two opportunities conjuring up a two-goal advantage.

Coventry made a half-time substitution, with Wright replacing Callum O’Hare, but it did not change the complexion of the game in the opening 10 minutes of the second half.

Diangana headed a Johnston free-kick wide before Conor Townsend’s effort from distance deflected over.

At the other end, a snapshot from Victor Torp drew a smart save from Alex Palmer as the visitors began to get a foothold in the game.

Coventry midfielder Palmer tested the West Brom goalkeeper and Torp went closer from distance before the Sky Blues halved the deficit with 18 minutes left.

Palmer was upended by Cedric Kipre in the box and substitute Wright stepped up to send the keeper the wrong way from the penalty spot.

Ellis Simms then spurned a chance to level shortly after, with Albion starting to shake in the wake of the spot-kick.

Simms fired over again as the clock ticked down as Coventry sensed a late equaliser.

Eccles saw an effort deflect wide as the Sky Blues pressured late on, but West Brom stood firm.

Lazio had three players sent off as Noah Okafor’s late goal secured a 1-0 win for AC Milan in a chaotic match at the Stadio Olimpico.

Milan grabbed their first win in four matches, a run which has seen their already faint hopes of a title challenge completely fade away, when substitute Okafor finally broke the deadlock three minutes from time.

The match turned in their favour when Lazio’s Luca Pellegrini needlessly got himself sent off with over half an hour still to play.

Lazio lost their heads in stoppage time and finished with eight men after Adam Marusic and Matteo Guendouzi were also dismissed.

Lazio, who travel to Bayern Munich on Tuesday looking to protect their 1-0 lead from the first leg of their Champions League clash, were inches away from taking the lead after 10 minutes.

Felipe Anderson flicked on a Luis Alberto corner and Matias Vecino prodded the ball narrowly wide of the far post.

They were denied a penalty moments later when Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan took a poor touch from a backpass and then wiped out Valentin Castellanos with his follow through, but nothing was given either on the field or in the VAR room.

Milan’s first chance arrived when former Roma right-back Alessandro Florenzi crossed for Olivier Giroud, but the Frenchman’s header was off target.

Giroud should have put the visitors ahead in first-half stoppage time after Christian Pulisic’s drive was pushed over the crossbar by Ivan Provedel.

Theo Hernandez swung in the corner, but Giroud’s header at the far post flew harmlessly over.

Lazio were reduced 10 men just before the hour when Pellegrini, who had been booked seven minutes earlier for a foul on Pulisic, was sent off for blatantly pulling back the former Chelsea man.

Moments later, Giroud played a one-two with Ruben Loftus-Cheek, but he could only hit his shot straight at Provedel.

Provedel showed great reactions to get a hand to a Loftus-Cheek volley, before the 10 men had a golden chance to go ahead when substitute Ciro Immobile somehow missed the target from four yards out.

Milan thought they had taken the lead with 13 minutes remaining when Rafael Leao fired home from a tight angle, but a lengthy VAR check ruled the effort out for offside.

The goal came after Provedel made another fine one-handed save to keep out Okafor’s initial drive.

But Lazio could not clear the loose ball and when it fell to Okafor again, the Switzerland international forward lashed it into the net.

The match ended in a farce with both Marusic and Guendouzi sent off at the death as Milan held on for a hard-earned victory.