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Club legend Thierry Henry has backed an Arsenal star to win the Player of the Season award after the win against Bayer Leverkusen.<\/p>\n
Arsenal<\/strong> beat Bayer Leverkusen 3-1 on aggregate to reach the Champions League quarter-finals, with Tuesday\u2019s 2-0 win in the second leg securing their progression.<\/p>\n The Gunners could do something really special this season as they are contesting for the quadruple, with Mikel Arteta<\/strong>\u2018s side top of the Premier League, in the Carabao Cup final and still in the FA Cup.<\/p>\n The north London side have the best squad in the Premier League and arguably Europe, while they have several players who have a chance of winning the Player of the Season award.<\/p>\n Declan Rice, Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba are among the favourites, though Henry has backed David Raya to win the award.<\/p>\n \u201cThis guy should be in contention to be player of the season because of what he does for Arsenal every single time,\u201d Henry said on CBS Sports.<\/p>\n READ: Arsenal advance thanks to \u2018naive\u2019 and \u2018careless\u2019 moments as the Quadruple isn\u2019t for everyone<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s very difficult sometimes to see what a goalkeeper does but he cannot make you win the game.<\/p>\n \u201cHe can make you hope that you\u2019re not losing it by making saves but he does that two to three times every single game. It\u2019s just outstanding.\u201d<\/p>\n Ex-Arsenal forward Paul Merson, meanwhile, said his former side performed like a \u201cmachine\u201d against Bayer Leverkusen and praised one of their backup players.<\/p>\n \u201cArsenal played very well at times. They are just rolling,\u201d Merson said on Sky Sports.<\/p>\n READ MORE: Pep Guardiola gives Arsenal the ultimate compliment as Real Madrid media drop two-word verdict<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t want to say \u2018machine\u2019 because it is disrespectful, but this is a machine that can do everything. They are a proper team.\u201d<\/p>\n Merson added: \u201cIt was a brilliant performance. Onto the quarter-finals. Ben White was steady. Whoever comes in, he does a job.\u201d<\/p>\n Merson also waxed lyrical about Rice after he doubled Arsenal\u2019s lead in the second leg, claiming the England international has been \u201cabsolutely outstanding\u201d.<\/p>\n \u2018What a goal. They were under pressure, Leverkusen. Some great defending from (Jarell) Quansah and then (Viktor) Gyokeres\u2019 shot got blocked for a corner when he should have passed it to Saka,\u201d Merson commented.<\/p>\n \u201cThe corner gets cleared to Declan Rice, it\u2019s coming out the air, he takes a touch\u2026 you think he\u2019s going to shoot, he takes another touch and then whips it in the corner.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a phenomenal finish by Declan Rice and who, again, has been absolutely outstanding.\u201d<\/p>\n READ NEXT: Declan Rice tells Mikel Arteta how to make Eberechi Eze \u2018frightening\u2019 for Arsenal<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n