When second-half goals from Ilkay Gundogan and Kai Havertz gave Germany a two-goal cushion at London's illustrious Wembley Stadium on Monday night, England feared the worst.  

Gareth Southgate's side went into this blockbuster showdown without a win in five matches and having been relegated from the top tier of the Nations League. After failing to score from open play for 450 minutes, the Three Lions needed to conjure up at least two goals to avoid further embarrassment. 

England could never have hoped for a sterner test ahead of the start of their World Cup campaign against Iran on November 21. They were staring at a third successive defeat and a full-blown crisis less than two months away from the showpiece event.

But a few moments in football can change everything. In a thrilling encounter of fluctuating fortunes, Luke Shaw started the fightback by pulling one back. Then a sensational equalizer from Mason Mount and a Harry Kane penalty looked to have capped an incredible turnaround within 12 minutes. 

Unfortunately for England, a poor effort from their goalkeeper Nick Pope, who served as the stand-in for injured Jordan Pickford, spilled a long-range shot back into the path of Havertz, who tucked away his second of the night to salvage a 3-3 draw. 

The result means England's longest winless run since 1993 continues. However, fans applauded the final whistle, apparently appreciative of England's character and resilience when the odds were against them.

Southgate was entitled to feel a sense of relief. The knives were being sharpened for the under-fire England manager when his team continued a poor run of form and conceded two cheap goals, but his decision to send on Bukayo Saka and Mason Mount in the second half clearly altered the match. Saka had a hand in all three goals, while Mount unleashed a wonder strike that could be remembered for years. 

"The players have been fantastic in the last few days," said Southgate. "They have taken some individual responsibility, collectively talked in the group, and the whole experience has been one we needed to grow the team. 

"The players reacted in the right way when Germany scored. We showed character but also a lot of quality, and I think the crowd also came with us and stayed with us," he said. "We scored, and the roof almost lifted off, and we all remember what it feels like for a goal to go in. Then we had an absolute punch on the nose at the end. I am sure everyone here was not enamored by rewriting three match reports, but I was not chuffed myself."

Southgate remained coy about his game-changing tactical adjustments when England were trailing. 

"Eight hours ago not everything was wrong, and now not everything is right, clearly, but the areas we weren't delivering in the top end of the pitch look much brighter," he said. 

"We need to stay calm. It is the message that we have to stick to what we are doing. We believe in what we are doing, and I think the players took that on board and recognized that we are only a few months from the World Cup. We can talk about team spirit when things are going well, but the true test is in adversity." 

The Three Lions have been crying out for a pre-World Cup tonic after finishing bottom of their Nations League group. They got it to the delight of the England faithful. 

Southgate reverted to spin and hyperbole when he claimed England's performance in a loss to Italy on Friday was "a step in the right direction." But the way England tore apart the four-time World Cup winners on Monday offered a much-needed dose of optimism.