'We'd win 3-1!' - Rio Ferdinand claims Pep Guardiola's Man City would have been no match for Man Utd under Sir Alex Ferguson

• City in pole position to win Premier League
• Also gunning for FA Cup and Champions League
• Ferdinand claims Ferguson's United were superior to this crop

WHAT HAPPENED? Manchester City have been in incredible form this season and their latest 4-1 thrashing of Arsenal puts them in pole position to retain the Premier League title. They are also gunning for glory in the FA Cup, where they are set to take on crosstown rivals Manchester United in the final, and in the Champions League as well, where they will lock horns against Real Madrid in the semi-final.

However, Ferdinand claims that the 2008 Manchester United team, which included the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney, would have got the better of this marauding City side by a margin of 3-1!

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WHAT THEY SAID: "Tough. It would be tough games. Pep's teams are hard to play against, I mean, we were annihilated by his Barcelona team. So this team with the weapons they have, with Haaland and De Bruyne connecting it would be a difficult one but I think we'd win 3-1," the former defender predicted, which led BT Sport presenter Jake Humphrey and pundits Owen Hargreaves and Jermaine Jenas laughing at him.

When asked whether he would have kept Erling Haaland in check, Ferdinand looked at his pocket and joked, "He would be in there somewhere."

However, on a serious note, he did add: "We would have to fight and go toe-to-toe with them. They're a great team and you cannot deny that."

THE BIGGER PICTURE: The 2007-08 Manchester United squad won both the Premier League and Champions League but fell short of winning the treble after they crashed out in the FA Cup quarter-final against eventual winners Portsmouth. However, United did win the treble under the reign of Ferguson, back in 1999, and remains the only English side to do so to date.

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WHAT NEXT? Manchester City will be in action next at Craven Cottage against Fulham on Sunday in the Premier League.