Andy Cole is adamant that Manchester United's treble-winning team from 1999 would beat Pep Guardiola's current Manchester City side if they went head-to-head in their prime.
Guardiola's reigning Premier League champions are working to close the season out with an unprecedented quadruple, an achievement that would eclipse United's famous treble on its 20th anniversary.
But Cole, speaking as a special guest on Sky Sports' Monday Night Football coverage, is totally convinced that the United side from '99 had 'all the tools' to match any side in world football both then and now.
'We have all the components to beat them,' he said.
'Football has changed a hell of a lot but I look at that United team and I genuinely believe we have all the tools to match anyone now.'
Cole's former team-mate Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been appointed permanent boss at United and he will come up against Guardiola's side in the Premier League run-in later this month.
Asked whether United's players and fans would accept defeat should that help keep arch-rivals Liverpool from the title, Cole dismissed the idea almost instantly.
He said: 'It’s a derby game and you want to win the derby game! I don’t think people are worrying about Liverpool.
'If I am playing I want to win a derby. The best team at the end of the season will win it. We shall see.'
Cole is third on the all-time Premier League scorers' list with 187 goals and went on to win five Premier League titles during his illustrious career.
Guardiola's side have already clinched the League Cup, are favourites to win the FA Cup, are in the quarter-finals of the Champions League and will return to the top of the Premier League table with victory over Cardiff City on Wednesday night.
'It would be phenomenal if City complete that,' he said. 'Their form in the Premier League has been fantastic.
'You just never know and you need that little bit of luck, too. They had that against Swansea in the FA Cup.'