ARSENE WENGER believes football has "sold its soul" to television.

And the Arsenal manager has blasted the Premier League for failing to take a strong enough stance against the broadcasters' demands over fixture changes.

Live domestic rights to top-flight English games for 2010-13 raised a total of £1.782bn.

Overseas income from 212 countries amounted to £1.4bn, a major increase on previous deals.

With such colossal amounts coming into the member clubs from the broadcasters, Wenger accepts altered schedules are now part and parcel of the modern game.

But he reckons the governing body must do more to limit the impact those changes have on clubs throughout the league — with the recent drawn out festive fixtures a case in point.

The Frenchman said: "We have sold our soul and we do not control our fixtures any more.

"It is the truth and I cannot say the television is wrong, but it is not normal that you can have a direct influence on the schedule through the television.

"The Premier League has to make sure there is a bit more fairness in the schedules.

"I don't believe in the last month or the last year, the Premier League has played a very fair role in the distribution of the fixtures."

Wenger maintains the demands of the viewing schedules — which now span from a Friday night to Monday evening slots — can have a direct influence on games.

He said: "Television is influenced by some clubs to choose the fixtures. Some clubs get advantaged by television.

"Is it Sky or is it ESPN? They have an influence there from the clubs directly and the Premier League should be a much bigger barrier than they are in front of that.

"I do not want to go personal on any club. I just think, when things are repeated, they are not a coincidence any more.

"In England, it is always very difficult to say what you feel about that but, I am not the only manager who thinks that and I think there is a real problem."

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger says that he and his players are not obsessed with the performances of city rivals Tottenham Hotspur this season.

While Wenger's Gunners are currently fifth in the Premier League table, one point behind fourth-placed Chelsea, Spurs are level on points with second-placed Manchester United.

Harry Redknapp's Tottenham are being considered real title contenders this campaign as after 20 rounds of matches they are only three points behind leaders Manchester City, but Wenger is not concerned with that.

"I don't look at Tottenham frankly," stated the Frenchman. "We look at the potential we have and then think that we gave absolutely everything to fulfil it.

"The attitude is right and I am confident that we can do that.
Open championship

"Tottenham are a good side, they make points, but there is a long way to go.

"At the moment it still looks very open and there is no one who dominates this championship.

"Let's wait to see what happens at the end of the season.

"No matter who wins the league, whether it is us or somebody else, we will respect it and congratulate them.

"At the moment what is important for us is to come back and fight.

"We will fight with Man United, Man City, Chelsea, Liverpool, Newcastle - all these teams to go as far as we can."