Jarell Quansah sends warning after England punished by Spain in Wembley defeat

Jarell Quansah believes England have shown they can compete with the world's best despite suffering a frustrating 3-2 defeat against Spain at Wembley.

Thomas Tuchel's side recovered after falling behind to Lamine Yamal, with Anthony Gordon and Harry Kane turning the game around.

England then had opportunities to extend their advantage, including a Kane penalty which struck the crossbar, but those missed chances proved costly.

Spain responded through Alex Baena and Mikel Oyarzabal to complete the comeback, leaving Quansah frustrated by England's failure to make their strongest periods count.

Speaking after the game, Quansah highlighted the fine margins involved when facing the reigning world champions.

“In any top game you play, there’s going to be momentum changes, and especially against the world champions,” he said.

“We had a lot of big chances to score. Against the best teams in the world, you’re going to be punished for mistakes.”

England had opportunities to move 3-1 ahead before Spain regained control, and Quansah believes that inability to capitalise ultimately changed the game.

The defender nevertheless took encouragement from the number of chances England managed to create against elite opposition.

The defeat continues a challenging sequence of fixtures against some of international football's strongest teams, with England having also faced Argentina and France recently.

Quansah believes those matches demonstrate England belong at that level, but admits they need to improve how they respond when momentum turns against them.

“We’ve got to be better when we face a bit of adversity,” he explained.

“We’re competing at the top level. There’s no doubt in my mind that we can be on the good side of the margin.”

That belief will now need to translate into results as Tuchel's side attempt to get their Nations League campaign moving.

England travel to Prague to face Czechia on Tuesday looking for their first victory of the new campaign.

Quansah will hope to retain his place in defence after starting against Spain and continue establishing himself within Tuchel's plans.

Spain, meanwhile, will host Croatia in Seville following their dramatic Wembley victory.

For England, the lesson from Friday is relatively straightforward: performances against the world's best may be competitive, but mistakes and missed opportunities at this level can quickly decide matches.

England have an immediate opportunity to respond when they travel to Prague to face Czechia.

For Quansah, another start would provide the chance to strengthen his position in Tuchel's defence. For England collectively, the priority is turning encouraging spells against elite opposition into victories.