In 2017, the footballing gods have certainly not been kind to Arsenal.

Despite lifting the FA Cup at Wembley, Arsene Wenger's side have endured a prolonged period of turmoil, with the manager being repeatedly subjected to abuse from his own fans.

Their league form has been dreadful, surrendering their perfect record of always finishing in the top four as Liverpool beat them to the punch on the final day of last season.

There are many reasons as to why the Gunners have been so poor, such as their inept defence, dreadful on-pitch attitude and obvious lack of top talent.

Another prominent reason could be the continued absence of perhaps the most important player in their entire squad.

Alexis Sanchez may be the goal scorer, but Spanish midfielder Santi Cazorla is the man who makes Arsenal tick and without him, they are simply nowhere near as efficient.

The diminutive playmaker is one of the most gifted players of his generation and his ability to glide past players with ease is hugely enjoyable to watch.

Fancy watching a compilation of Cazorla's fancy footwork? Well, look no further as one Twitter user has created just that video, so sit back and admire Arsenal's little magician.

VIDEO

It just looks so effortless for him. It is still unknown when Cazorla will return to first team action after suffering a number of setbacks in his bid to return from a serious injury.

If Arsenal can get him back fit and firing around January, it would be like acquiring a new signing.

The Gunners' midfield has simply not been the same without him, with the double pivot of Granit Xhaka and Aaron Ramsey being heavily criticised by both pundits and fans this season.

Those in reserve haven't fared much better, with Francis Coquelin and Mohamed Elneny both showing on numerous occasions that they are not Arsenal standard players.

The Gunners' next Premier League fixture is at home to Bournemouth on Saturday and after two consecutive losses to Stoke and Liverpool, Wenger's side need three points more than ever.

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