AC Milan missed the chance to go second in Serie A as they slumped to a 4-2 defeat at neighbours Monza, finishing with 10 men after Luka Jovic was sent off.
Stefano Pioli’s side had made the short trip north full of confidence, having lost just once in all competitions since early December.
Milan produced a bright start, with Jovic sending a header from a free-kick straight at the Monza goalkeeper before Theo Hernandez saw his shot deflected wide.
At the other end, Monza forward Milan Djuric flicked a header onto the frame of the goal.
There was a lengthy stoppage from the 36th minute when Monza goalkeeper Michele Di Gregorio came to punch out a corner and clashed heads with team-mate Andrea Carboni.
Both players needed treatment for cuts and were bandaged up, before it was decided Di Gregorio could not continue and Alessandro Sorrentino came on in goal.
When the action resumed, Monza were awarded a penalty after a poorly-timed challenge from Milan defender Malick Thiaw on Dany Mota. Matteo Pessina rolled the spot-kick into the bottom-right corner.
Milan immediately went on the offensive, with Ruben Loftus-Cheek nodding down a cross into the path of Jovic, whose volley was charged down by Pablo Mari before Hernandez fired the rebound over.
Monza, though, doubled their lead in first-half stoppage time.
Andrea Colpani snatched the ball off Ismael Bennacer and darted away down the right before playing in Mota on the overlap, with the midfielder cutting back inside to clip a deflected finish into the far corner.
Milan’s night got even worse just six minutes into the second half when Jovic was sent off for lashing out at Armando Izzo as the pair jostled near the centre circle. Having initially been cautioned, the striker was shown a red card by the referee following a VAR review.
Rossoneri boss Pioli made an attacking change as Olivier Giroud replaced Bennacer in the 55th minute.
The French striker pulled a goal back after 64 minutes when he volleyed in Christian Pulisic’s flicked header in the six-yard box.
Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan made a smart save to push over an angled shot from Samuele Birindelli before at the other end, Loftus-Cheek’s towering header dropped straight at Sorrentino.
Pulisic, who had been sent on at the start of the second half, fired Milan level with two minutes left after cutting inside onto his left foot and rifling an angled drive into the far corner.
Monza, though, snatched the lead once again when Warren Bondo whipped a fine 18-yard strike into the top-right corner – the goal allowed to stand following a VAR check for possible offside in the build-up.
In stoppage time, on-loan forward Lorenzo Colombo added a fourth following a breakaway, drilling a low shot into the bottom corner against his parent club.
Ferguson still better than Guardiola, says James
Former Manchester City goalkeeper David James hails Pep Guardiola for "doing remarkable things" but believes he is still not at Alex Ferguson’s level.
City became the first team in Premier League history to win four consecutive titles with their 3-1 win over West Ham on Sunday, pipping Arsenal to the crown by two points.
Manchester United had previously won three consecutive Premier League seasons, achieving the feat twice under Ferguson (1998-2001 and 2006-2009).
Guardiola’s side can create more history on Saturday as they aim to clinch unprecedented back-to-back league and FA Cup doubles against the Red Devils.
Asked if this achievement put Guardiola’s name alongside Ferguson’s as the best Premier League manager, James, who spent two years with City, disagreed.
"No, Fergie's still the best. Look at statistics and longevity," James told Stats Perform. "And even more so, since Fergie left, what's happened to Manchester United.
"You can't even blame or use the excuse he had a good team and did well with it, Fergie rode the waves, he was up and down and even these downs weren't particularly bad.
"I think third or fourth was probably the worst they ever did; Fergie was the best and Pep will have to hang around for another decade, I think, before he can actually challenge that position.
"But what we're seeing at the moment, you've got a different style of football, a different type of game in so many different ways. The way the league is constructed at the moment with other competitions around it, Pep is having to do different things to what Fergie may have had to do.
"I know Fergie was a great manager, but not necessarily the greatest coach. Pep is a great manager and a great coach. He's also got an extra string to his bow in that sense.
"To be the winner of that league four years in a row, you need to be a superb manager. And I think Pep, in this short time frame, is doing some remarkable things, but he's going to have to hang around for a lot longer to take Ferguson's crown."
Following their victory over West Ham, Guardiola stated that he was "closer to leaving than staying", raising speculation that next season could be his last.
"I think the big question for Pep, and it is logical that he will now become the focus given that Jurgen Klopp announced his departure a few months ago, and all of a sudden it was nothing, but Jurgen and he will be the next focus," James added.
"I think the thing for Pep is, what does he want to do as a person? And it's not that he's completed the treble and that's enough because I think that he would want to do a treble treble, you want to do a quadruple.
"I can see that competitive side in him, he doesn't seem to change on the sidelines. Even yesterday, when they conceded the goal, and it was a fantastic goal from Kudus, he wasn't happy.
"I think you can still see that he's still animated, still engaged with the game. There's no question that he's feeling tired in that sense.
"I would like him to stay. I would like him to stay because I think when you've got someone so good, you need someone to beat them legitimately rather than them just step away and allow everyone else to play.
"I think he should stay. And I'm sure City will do everything they can to keep him in charge for the foreseeable future."
Kjaer to leave Milan at end of season
Milan defender Simon Kjaer will leave the Serie A club at the end of the current campaign, he announced on Tuesday.
The 35-year-old Denmark captain arrived at the San Siro in January 2020 on loan from Sevilla before signing a permanent deal at the end of that season.
In a video shared on Milan's page on the social media platform X, Kjaer said: "This is my club. It's my place. It always will be.
"My time here was the pride and dream that gave me great joy and a lot of satisfaction in my career and life.
Kjaer played 120 matches for the club and won the Serie A title in 2022, but has struggled with injuries this season, managing just 24 appearances in all competitions.
Putellas signs two-year deal with Barcelona
Barcelona midfielder Alexia Putellas has signed a two-year deal until 2026, the club announced on Thursday.
Putellas was due to be out of contract next month, but extends her 12-year relationship with Barcelona, with the new deal also including an option for an additional season.
The 30-year-old is a two-time Ballon d’Or winner in 2021 and 2022, though she has struggled with injuries that have kept her sidelined since winning the second.
Overall, she has made 424 appearances, scoring a record 189 goals for the club, playing a pivotal role in Barcelona’s recent domination in women’s football.
Putellas has won 29 major trophies with Barcelona and is looking for another on Saturday when they face Lyon in the Champions League final.
Having already clinched Liga F, the Copa de la Reina and the Spanish Supercopa this season, Putellas can help Barcelona to complete an unprecedented quadruple with a win over the French champions.
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