London — Gareth Southgate has pledged to stick to his principles after Spain delivered an uncomfortable reality check at Wembley but admits he is unsure whether England has time to become genuine contenders for the Euro 2020 crown. England were surprise World Cup semifinalists in July, riding a wave of euphoria at home, but their 2-1 Nations League defeat on Saturday was their third consecutive loss. Even during their morale-boosting run in Russia, manager Southgate warned there was still work to do and the performance at Wembley underlined that message. Marcus Rashford struck early for England but Saul Niguez levelled for Spain moments later and Rodrigo scored the winning goal later in the first half. A stoppage-time leveller by substitute Danny Welbeck was controversially ruled out, meaning England head into Tuesday’s friendly against Switzerland reeling from three successive defeats in all competitions for the first time since 1988. Spain, who bowed out in the World Cup last-16 a...

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