Arsenal will be nine points adrift of Premier League leaders Chelsea at Christmas after a frustrating few weeks for Arsene Wenger’s side.

The Gunners’ 3-1 victory over Stoke on December 10 sent them joint-top of the division with Antonio Conte’s side, yet two defeats since then, alongside two Chelsea wins, has seen Wenger’s men lose pace with the seemingly unstoppable Blues.

Arsenal lost 2-1 away at Everton on December 13, despite taking the lead through Alexis Sanchez’s 12th league goal of the campaign, and then let slip the lead away at Manchester City last weekend, again losing by two goals to one.

It means that Wenger’s men are in the all too familiar position of fourth going into the second half of the season, but they’ll hope to get back to winning ways on Boxing Day when they host West Brom at the Emirates.

Despite a disappointing few games, it has still been a decent season thus far for Wenger’s side, and 2016 on the whole hasn’t been a bad year for the Gunners.

Thus, with Christmas fast approaching, we thought we’d take a look back at their year thus far, and have selected their THREE best goals of 2016…

Granit Xhaka vs Hull (September 17)

https://twitter.com/ArsenalGoals/status/777175327332245504

It took a while for Granit Xhaka to adapt and settle into the Arsenal team after his big money move from Borussia Monchengladbach in the summer.

However, the Swiss international showed no signs of nerves when he unleashed a belter against Hull City in September to round off a 4-1 win for the Gunners.

Xhaka picked the ball up in the middle of the Hull half, and struck it brilliantly into the top corner from 35 yards out, leaving goalkeeper Eldin Jakupovic with no chance.

The sheer ferocity of the strike was just incredible, and he has again shown since then to have an eye for goal from that range when he fired the Gunners into the lead against Nottingham Forest just three days later.

Mesut Ozil vs Ludogorets (November 1)

https://twitter.com/ArsenalGoals/status/802158052203892736

Mesut Ozil’s sensational goal against Ludogorets in the Champions League got many talking on social media.

The German international broke free from the back four and raced towards goal, but it was what he did after that which was special.

The 28-year-old chipped the on-rushing goalkeeper, then easily deceived two Ludogorets defenders, restricting them to their backside, before slotting into an empty net.

Many will question the defending, and indeed the calibre of opposition, but Ozil’s technical ability and composure in that situation cannot be understated.

It was a special goal from a special player.

Alexis Sanchez vs West Ham (December 3)

https://twitter.com/ArsenalGoals/status/809821857138536448

Chilean international Alexis Sanchez has been in inspired form for Arsenal this season, and demonstrated his supreme confidence with a wonderful goal against West Ham.

The forward, who celebrates his 28th birthday last Monday, had already netted twice before latching onto Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s through ball, and sprinted clear of Winston Reid as he went in search of his hat-trick.

Sanchez then showed incredible touch to first reduce goalkeeper Darren Randolph to the floor with a deft dummy, and then dink the ball over the Republic of Ireland international to clinch a wonderful hat-trick.