Arsenal midfielder Aaron Ramsey took a significant leap forward in his progress as a player last season.  The Wales international scored 16 total goals (10 during Premier League play) from a central midfield role, and not only supplied the Gunners with goals, but he showed up in big matches.

Ramsey started his superb season with three total scores during the two-legged Champions League playoff round with Fenerbahce in August.  The one-time frustrating player to watch kept his Champions League form going with the eventual game-winners in Marseille and away to Borussia Dortmund.

Ultimately, the Welshman’s most significant goal of the season (and could very well be the most notable of his career) was in the 109th minute of the FA Cup final against Hull City.  Arsenal went down early in the game, only to storm back and collect their first piece of silverware in 3,283 days thanks to Ramsey’s match-winning goal.

At the end of the season, Ramsey collected four Arsenal Player of the Month awards, one Barclays Player of the Month award, and Arsenal’s Player of the Season.

With many Arsenal fans expecting the 24-year-old to pick up where he left off, Ramsey has not been able to fulfill these expectations so far this season.  While he has had to deal with a nagging hamstring injury earlier in the campaign (anyone who has dealt with a similar injury will tell you that it’s not an easy task), the midfielder’s form has been shocking since returning to the lineup last month.

The subpar performances by the Welshman was highlighted during last Saturday’s North London Derby loss to bitter rivals Tottenham Hotspur.  The Welshman almost seemed lost on the pitch during the massive match, as he failed to register a shot or a key pass, while recording a passing percentage of only 70%.

While it’s certainly frustrating for Gooners to see one of their top players under-performing, Ramsey has the ability and talent to find his way back to being one of the best overall players in the Premier League.

Ramsey was in fact in solid form prior to going down with the hamstring injury in December.  He picked up three goals and two assists during the holiday month (including a Man of the Match effort in Arsenal’s 4-1 demolishing of Galatasaray on December 9th).

Like many other players, confidence appears to be the key with Ramsey returning to glory. Following the disappointing defeat to Spurs, the Welshman took to Instagram to reset focus back on the future.  The Welshman stated, “Saturday was hard to take, it hurt, so it’s time to put (it) in the past and bounce back tomorrow.”

With experiencing a dip in form, overcoming two similar leg injuries within a year and also adapting to a new partnership in central midfield with Francis Coquelin, Ramsey will look to bounce back with a solid performance against Leicester City on Tuesday.