England have had their ups and relative downs as Gareth Southgate’s men qualified for next summer’s Euros and went through 2023 unbeaten.
Here, the PA news agency takes a look at some of the highs and lows from England’s eight wins and two draws across the year.
HIGHS
Opening qualification win in Italy
Southgate’s men put their 2022 World Cup frustration behind them by kicking off European qualification with victory at reigning champions Italy in March.
Harry Kane became England’s all-time record goalscorer by striking home a penalty after Declan Rice opened the scoring in Naples, before Mateo Retegui pulled one back.
Luke Shaw’s sending-off for two bookings in quick succession made for a nervy final 10 minutes but England held out for a 2-1 win – their first away to Italy since 1961.
Inspired Saka marmalises Macedonia
Bukayo Saka scored a jaw-dropping first career hat-trick in June as rampant England roared to a 7-0 victory against North Macedonia in a surprise end to the 2022-23 campaign.
Kane struck twice in an Old Trafford annihilation that also saw Marcus Rashford and Kalvin Phillips get in on the act, but ever-improving talent Saka was the star of the show.
Stirring success in Scotland
Phil Foden, Jude Bellingham and Kane fired England to a 3-1 victory as Scotland were given the runaround by the Auld Enemy at Hampden Park in September.
Southgate was delighted with his players’ commitment, togetherness and mentality in the so-called friendly as they followed up a 1-1 draw against Ukraine in Poland by beating Steve Clarke’s side on a night when Harry Maguire recovered from an own goal and an evening of abuse from the home crowd.
LOWS
Meek Malta win
England were poor in patches in away to Ukraine and struggled to break down Macedonia as their final group game also ended 1-1, but it was Friday’s win against Malta that most disappointed.
An expectant Wembley crowd resorted to paper planes and Mexican waves to entertain themselves in a 2-0 victory that lacked excitement.
Southgate admitted afterwards that he suspected players had subconsciously let their foot off the gas against the side 171st in the world.
Boo boys
During his seven years in charge, Southgate can be rightly proud of the way the fan-base and squad have reconnected.
A few supporters were heard booing Southgate and Jordan Henderson after Monday’s draw in Skopje, with the latter also jeered by England fans in both Wembley appearances since his controversial summer switch to Saudi Arabia.
Travelling fans at Hampden threw their support behind Maguire, who has been booed by pockets of his own fan-base in previous years, but the Manchester United defender was hounded by Scotland fans – treatment labelled by Southgate as “ridiculous”, “a joke” and “beyond anything I’ve ever seen”.
Left-back limitations
England are blessed with options at right-back but they lack alternatives on the other side. Luke Shaw is first choice but has only started twice since being sent off against Italy.
Injury has kept the Manchester United left-back out of the last three squads, with an issue keeping Ben Chilwell out of the previous two camps.
The Chelsea man played in both matches against Ukraine but right-back Kieran Trippier has started as many matches on the left this year.
Levi Colwill, Fikayo Tomori and Rico Lewis have also begun matches there, but Southgate will be praying Shaw and Chilwell get back fit and firing.
Nobbs makes record-breaking WSL appearance as Aston Villa lose to Brighton
Aston Villa's Jordan Nobbs is now the outright leader for Women's Super League appearances after playing her 193rd game.
The midfielder started on Saturday, though she could not help Villa avoid a 4-2 defeat to Brighton, who were inspired by full debutant Nikita Parris.
While Nobbs could not mark her special day with a victory, there can be no taking away from the 31-year-old's achievement.
Nobbs' tally includes eight appearances in the WSL Spring Series. Before Saturday, she was level with Chelsea's Sophie Ingle, who is out injured.
She has started 158 games in total, and taken part in a hugely impressive 124 wins - only now-retired Stephanie Houghton has won more WSL matches (127).
Nobbs has scored 58 goals in the competition, a figure bettered by just six players, while only eight players have provided more assists than her 31. She has created 312 goalscoring chances for her team-mates, with Beth Mead (339) having crafted more.
The majority of Nobbs' appearances came for Arsenal, as she played 157 times for the Gunners. Saturday's loss at Brighton marked her 36th WSL match for Villa, who she joined in 2023.
Her 21 starts in the 2016-17 campaign, meanwhile, has marked the most matches she played in from the off during a single season.
Nobbs, who has won 71 caps for England, has won the WSL on three occasions (2011, 2012 and 2018-19), winning the FA Cup four times.
Simeone: No negativity in Atletico Madrid camp
Diego Simeone has dismissed claims of negativity surrounding Atletico Madrid following their resounding 4-0 Champions League defeat to Benfica in midweek.
Los Colchoneros are unbeaten in LaLiga after eight matches, winning four and drawing four, sitting five points behind leaders Barcelona, ahead of Sunday's trip to Real Sociedad.
However, they were trounced by Benfica in their second match in the Champions League's new league phase on Wednesday, the first time they had shipped four goals in a Champions League group-stage game since October 2020 (0-4 at Bayern Munich).
"I don't think that there is a negative climate. I believe our atmosphere is good and we are working towards the team we want to have," Simeone told reporters on Saturday.
"There are players who arrived in the last days of the transfer window, and they are acclimatising.
"From our position, we need to help them adapt as quickly as possible so the team can take shape swiftly. I don't see that as negativity at all."
Atletico bolstered their squad with new signings Conor Gallagher and Julian Alvarez ahead of the new campaign, and Simeone is still waiting for his players to gel.
"I didn't see the team lacking commitment or intensity, but rather a lack of creative play and resources ... Let's see if we can win against Sociedad," Simeone added.
Motta: Juventus players will 'give something more' after Bremer injury
Thiago Motta believes the Juventus players will "all give something more" for Bremer after he suffered a potentially season-ending injury.
The Brazilian, who had played every single minute this season, was forced off with an anterior cruciate ligament injury early in their 3-2 Champions League win over RB Leipzig on Wednesday.
He has played a big part in Juventus keeping six clean sheets from six games in the league and has played more minutes (540) while making the most interceptions (six) and blocks (11) among his team-mates in the competition.
Motta expects him to be a big miss against Cagliari at the weekend.
"Gleison [Bremer] is an important player for us," Motta said. "I'm very sorry for the boy, because already, humanly speaking, he is fantastic, technically I don't need to say it, we all know it.
"From now on we will all give something more, also because if it had been another team-mate who had to stop like that, I am convinced that he would have taken this responsibility to give something more every day."
Motta will also be without forward Timothy Weah, winger Nicolas Gonzalez, midfielder Vasilije Adzic, along with long-term absentee Arkadius Milik, but the manager expects a positive show from the players who come into the side.
"Whoever comes in, I am convinced they will give something more," Motta said.
"Always thinking about the well-being of the team and giving a good performance to obtain the positive result, which is what we want to do.
"Tomorrow, in our stadium, our home, in front of our fans, a full ground, a great football atmosphere and we will do our job well from the first to the last minute."
Juventus impressed in Europe, recovering not only from early injuries to Bremer and Gonzalez, but also from going behind twice, and having keeper Michele Di Gregorio sent off.
Now, Motta wants his side to keep that enthusiasm without getting carried away.
"The enthusiasm, used well, is always good, and we use it to work," the manager said.
"We use it to come to the pitch every day and do our job well. This is the great advantage of being able to work with enthusiasm.
"It helps, and we want to maintain that enthusiasm, but it only depends on us. We will always have our feet on the ground, aware of our strengths, and using our strengths in the right way."
French midfielder Paul Pogba had his four-year doping suspension cut to 18 months on Friday, meaning he can return to action in March, but Motta's only concern is the immediate future of his team.
"On Paul Pogba, the club will evaluate what to do," Motta said.
"As for me, Pogba has been a great player, who hasn't played for a long time. Now I'm focused on tomorrow's game and everything else doesn't matter much to me at this moment."
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