Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger yesterday criticised Manchester United's decision not to play in the FA Cup, saying: "It is killing off the tournament".

The Frenchman declared: "It's a bad decision. The FA Cup is famous worldwide and for such a prestigious club like Manchester United to be out of the competition is just untrue, it's not normal.

"To go to play a business tournament that nobody knows about and to be out of the FA Cup is just unbelievable. I'd love to be in the same situation as them and to play in the FA Cup.

"They have two squads anyway and can buy one or two more big players. If you have as many players as they do, there was a solution to be found. "Basically it's slowly killing the FA Cup and why? At the moment, it's for business and politics."