Oezil answers Emery’s call

– Unai Emery is confident Arsenal can be the major beneficiaries from Mesut Oezil’s acrimonious retirement from international football.

The 29-year-old announced in June he would no longer represent his country following Germany’s disappointing World Cup campaign in Russia, where they crashed out in the group stage.

Oezil claimed he was made a scapegoat for the high-profile failure, and cited “racism and disrespect” over his Turkish roots as a major factor in his decision to bring the curtain down on a career at the highest level which included 92 games, 23 goals and a 2014 World Cup winners’ medal.

After initially failing to impress new manager Emery, the midfielder answered the Spaniard’s public call to impose himself more on games, backing up an influential display in the victory at Cardiff by scoring his first Premier League goal since December to help secure a third consecutive victory, a 2-1 win at struggling Newcastle on Saturday.

Emery had stressed the importance of finding a consistency of results on the road as he looks to lead the Gunners back towards a top-four finish after a two-season absence from the Champions League. –

Newcastle