West Ham United midfielder Joe Cole has admitted that Robin van Persie is impossible to defend against on current form.
Van Persie came off the bench to deny The Hammers an FA Cup victory over Manchester United on Saturday, scoring a last-gasp equaliser after latching onto a long pass from Ryan Giggs.
Cole believes that Van Persie is the best technical player in the Premier League and has the talent to match the world's best in Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
He told The Sun: "Take away Messi and Ronaldo and he's probably the best player in the world. He is different class and in his prime. He is hard to stop and is just sublime.
"Technically, he is fantastic. He was playing wide for Arsenal for many years and getting a few injury problems. Moving central means there is a bit less running in there and he can use his technique and finishing, which is just incredible. He uses both feet. He is a joy to watch and a pain to play against.
"We nearly got the third goal at the end. You can't give them a chance like that but to be fair to us you can't point the finger at anyone, it was just a world-class ball from Ryan Giggs and a world-class finish."
The Dutchman has 22 goals in all competitions this season, including five in his last four games.
Liam Power
