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Wigan won the FA Cup for the first time in its 81-year history, beating big-spending Manchester City 1-0 on Saturday night in one of the biggest final upsets the tournament has seen. Ben Watson scored on a header off Shaun Maloney's corner kick in the 90th minute at Wembley Stadium, six minutes after City defender Pablo Zabaleta was given a red card.

"The boys were fantastic and they deserve it. To come on and score the winner in the FA Cup final is a dream,'' Watson told the BBC. Wigan, based near Manchester, put together its roster for less than $30 million, while City's cost more than 10 times than amount.

But season still could end on a low for Wigan, which is 18th in the Premier League at 9-19-8 with two games left. Wigan faces relegation to the second-tier League Championship next season unless it can climb in the standings.

"It's unbelievable. It's some achievement for everyone in the club. Now it's down to the league. It's a massive week for the club. We have to put on a massive show for the rest of the season,'' Wigan midfielder James McCarthy said.

Wigan was led out onto the field by chairman Dave Whelan, whose playing career ended at old Wembley stadium when he broke a leg while playing for Blackburn in the 1960 final. "Today it was David and Goliath. "It was following a dream. ...We saw the underdogs play with incredible bravery, incredible belief, and they defied the odds again. That's the FA Cup,'' Wigan manager Roberto Martinez said.

Wigan became the second history-maker this season at Wembley. Swansea won its first major trophy when it beat Bradford in the League Cup final in February.

Zabaleta became just the third player ejected from an FA Cup final when he was shown a second yellow card for fouling Callum McManaman. Manchester United's Kevin Moran was given a red card for fouling Everton's Peter Reid in 1985, and Arsenal's Jose Antonio Reyes received two yellow cards in 2005.



 Source: BBC, AP

Malaga vs Borussia Dortmund

Malaga was the first name to be drawn out for the quarterfinal, and it was appropriate. The competition debutant is the surprise club at this stage and was also the first team to reach the round of 16. Its presence in the draw capped a super week for star player Isco, selected to Spain's international squad for the first time Friday morning for upcoming World Cup qualifiers.

How Dortmund manages to shackle the winger could have considerable bearing, though the German champion would be favored to reach its first semifinal since winning this tournament in 1997. It is in the Germans' favor that they face probably the only side left with less experience than themselves.

The battle between the coaches, Jurgen Klopp and Manuel Pellegrini, promises to be fascinating. Both men have been linked to top jobs in the Premier League. Klopp vowed to stay at Dortmund, and with Pep Guardiola joining Bayern next season, you can't blame him. But Pellegrini seems certain to leave behind the chaos of Malaga's shoddy ownership: win this game, and he could name his price to his next employer.

Real Madrid vs Galatasaray

The relief was etched on the face of Madrid's directors in the Nyon crowd when it avoided the prospect of an early two-legged tie against Barcelona. Instead, Madrid coach Jose Mourinho will face two of the most significant players in his trophy-laden past: Didier Drogba and Wesley Sneijder.

The relationship between Drogba and Mourinho still stands now. "Friends for life," is what Drogba recently told France Football, while Mourinho wrote a cloying preface to Drogba's autobiography, C'Etait Pas Gagné (It Hasn't Been Easy), which explained the background to him joining Chelsea. "I had several options open to me, but as soon as I arrived I said, 'I want Didier Drogba'," wrote Mourinho. "A few days later, I met up with Didier at a private airport in London. And he said to me, 'Thank you, I will fight for you. You won't regret it, I will remain faithful to you all my life.' And that's what he did."

Mourinho made Sneijder his chief creator during the Dutchman's most successful season, when Inter Milan won the league, Cup and Champions League treble in 2010. "If I managed to settle quickly at Inter then it is because of Mourinho," Sneijder later said. "He and I could be the same person. We think the same way and we conduct ourselves in the same way. The way he lives the game, the way he celebrates when we score, it's the same way as I do it. Mourinho is a person who reacts to emotions and knows how to transmit passion. He could have been my father and, in fact, in football he is a kind of father to me."

The reunion will no doubt be charming - and tear-filled - and while Galatasaray showed itself to be a strong opponent in its win over Schalke, you can't help wonder how fullbacks Emmanuel Eboue and Albert Riera might cope against Cristiano Ronaldo and Angel di Maria. For the third straight season, Mourinho could take Madrid into the last four.


Paris Saint-Germain vs Barcelona

Margins, margins. Had M'Baye Niang not hit the post but scored for AC Milan one minute before Barcelona's Lionel Messi scored his second goal in Tuesday's 4-0 win at Camp Nou, Champions League favorite Barcelona might not even be in this draw. So while Barcelona is expected to beat PSG, it no longer carries the air of invincibility. The obvious worldwide storyline in this tie is the matchup of two of the most famous players this century - Messi and David Beckham - former La Liga opponents who last played against each other in a Barcelona-Los Angeles Galaxy friendly in 2009.

The huge advantage Barcelona has, in fact, is that Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who spent the 2009-10 season at Barcelona, is out suspended for the first leg after a needless sending-off against Valencia in the round of 16. PSG looked toothless up front without him in the return (until, that is, Carlo Ancelotti brought on Kevin Gameiro off the bench).

Ibrahimovic was booed by home fans at the Parc des Princes last week - despite his 24 goals without which PSG would not be top of the table - and he wound them up by responding. "They shouldn't be so demanding, in the past they have had nothing," he said. The French made great play of the club's success in the mid-1990s, when it reached European competition semifinals five straight years. Former player Jean-Michel Moutier compared the Swede to John McEnroe and claimed his need for confrontation was the only way he could motivate himself. A second leg at Camp Nou should be motivation enough.

Bayern Munich vs Juventus
This one is the hardest to call, with Bayern showing two sides to its character in a Jekyll-and-Hyde round of 16 tie against Arsenal. Dominant away from home in a 3-1 win, it played like a shadow of itself at the Allianz Arena and lost for only the third time this season.

Juventus is perhaps a harder team to predict: it topped a very tough group, getting past Chelsea and Shakhtar Donetsk (winning in Ukraine on Matchday Six to secure the top spot) and coasted through the round of 16 tie with a clinical display against Celtic. Defensively, Juventus is among the best teams left in the competition and will be harder for Bayern to break down than some of its more generous previous opponents.

Juventus coach Antonio Conte will enjoy the reunion with Jupp Heynckes: Conte was in the Italian side's midfield when Heynckes coach Real Madrid to success in the 1998 Champions League final. Revenge is possible, and would be sweet.

Exclusively by Ben Lyttleton

Pep Guardiola's appointment as Bayern Munich manager will have knock-on effects far outside of Germany. Here are the other parties who will be affected by the deal ether directly or indirectly.

The Losers

Chelsea

With Guardiola gone and a huge number of other top-tier managers alienated or put off by Roman Abramovich, Chelsea is quickly running out of options for who is going to lead its new look side. It may now be stuck with Rafael Benitez - short of a return for Mourinho, which is almost unthinkable, it's very difficult to see what other options it have available.

Manchester United

Not so much of a huge loss, but much like Chelsea, its options are growing thinner, albeit for very different reasons. United's appointment after Sir Alex Ferguson, which could be as soon as this summer, is probably the biggest of all time, and it needs a name who can live up to it. There weren't too many of those around to begin with, and now there's one fewer.

Manchester City

As with its two Premier League rivals, City now looks stuck with Roberto Mancini for the foreseeable future, unless its next appointment is a brave one. The Ferguson factor may make them struggle to get Jose Mourinho if United makes its move, and while the appointment is not of the same significance, and it hasn't used up or alienated as many managers as Chelsea has, it is still at a crossroads, with its direction now yet more uncertain.

The Winners

Bayern Munich

Most obviously of all. It gets a world-class manager who can give it the long-term vision it's been lacking. Almost everything else is in place, and Bayern is easily the best-positioned club in Europe to seize Barcelona's crown right now.

Pep Guardiola

If rumours are to be believed, then Guardiola could have had his pick of jobs, but Bayern is perfect for him. As with Barcelona, most of his spine, playing style, and youngsters to develop are already laid out for him, and in theory Bayern should be able to overpower its nearest rivals. Perhaps the biggest thing we can learn about Pep from this is whether he's an ideological crusader for the possession game, or whether he takes a laissez-faire approach. Aesthetically, Bayern and Barca have little in common, but the scenario when Guardiola took over both roles is near identical.

Rafael Benitez

With Chelsea running very low on options for its new manager - short of an extraordinary and highly unlikely return for Jose Mourinho - Rafael Benitez has just been given a huge boost. If he finishes this campaign well, then he'll be in an absolutely perfect position to get himself a new contract for next season, potentially extending his Chelsea reign by months.

Football

Yes, it's a cliché, but the sport could be the real winner in this deal. If Bayern is positioned to make a huge challenge to Barcelona's European dominance, we could see some absolutely titanic struggles between the two in the coming years as Guardiola bids to overthrow his former paymasters. Everything that can be said about Barcelona has already been said -- Europe needs a new king.

Jose Mourinho

The biggest winner of all, Jose now returns to the spotlight as the most in-demand man in football that can actually be shifted. If he's planning a move, he now holds every card on the table, and probably has a few more stuffed up his sleeves just in case.

11. Alen Halilovic (Dinamo Zagreb)
Age: 16
Possible fee: £9m
Interested clubs: Manchester City, Manchester United, Chelsea, Real Madrid, Inter, Juventus

A wonderful talent – nicknamed “the Balkan Messi” – the attacking midfielder became the youngest ever player in a Champions League match in October. He is also the youngest debutant in the Croatian league and the youngest goalscorer. The Dinamo sporting director, Zoran Mamic, said recently that “everyone at the club is convinced he will become one of the best in the world” but he is still young, as he displayed with an awful, naive dive in a game this season.

12. Demba Ba (Newcastle United)
Age: 27
Possible fee: £7m
Interested clubs: Chelsea, Arsenal, QPR

The Senegal striker has England’s most famous release clause but it is not simply a case of a club triggering it for him to join them. Chelsea have already held unproductive contract talks with the centre-forward but may offer improved terms. Arsenal and QPR have also been linked while Newcastle are thought to be putting together a package to remove the destabilising clause once and for all.

13. Daniel Sturridge (Chelsea)
Age: 23
Possible fee: £12m
Interested clubs: Liverpool

Understood to have had his medical at Liverpool more than a week ago and to have agreed a three and a half year deal. The ratification of his signing by the Premier League on Wednesday after the new year bank holiday is expected to be a formality.

14. Dieumerci Mbokani (Anderlecht)
Age: 27
Possible fee: £8.5m
Interested clubs: Tottenham, Newcastle, Everton, Arsenal, Juventus, Genoa

Powerful forward who has already scored 14 goals this season, he is ready to try his luck in a bigger league. Has said he would like to finish the season at Anderlecht but admitted that an "astronomical” bid could force his club’s hand. The club’s general manager, Herman van Holsbeeck, said recently: “I can confirm that clubs such as Everton, Newcastle and Juventus have shown their interest. However, we won’t sell him for less than €10m (£8.5m).

15. Joleon Lescott (Manchester City)
Age: 27
Possible fee: Loan
Interested clubs: Everton

After City were defeated 3-1 by Ajax in the Champions League, Roberto Mancini singled Lescott out for public criticism and the Englishman did not start another game for six weeks. The 30-year-old’s future continues to be unclear, but the club that sold him to City for £20m three and a half years ago would be keen on a return.

16. Nicolas Anelka (Shanghai Shenhua)
Age: 33
Possible fee: Free
Interested clubs: West Ham, QPR

Harry Redknapp has expressed an interest in the French striker but admits that QPR may not be able to afford him. Currently with Shanghai Shenhua, he is expected to leave the Chinese club in January after failing to impress following his transfer from Chelsea in January 2012 (despite being on a reported €12m (£9.8m) annual salary). He has been increasingly marginalised since the arrival of Didier Drogba. Is he still motivated enough?

17. Wilfried Zaha (Crystal Palace)
Age: 20
Possible fee: £9m
Interested clubs: Tottenham, Arsenal, Manchester United

Arsene Wenger confirmed in November that Crystal Palace’s England international forward was on his list of targets, and though the Eagles are optimistic that with the club competing for promotion from the Championship he will complete the season at Selhurst Park before moving on, their resolve could be tested.

18. Younes Belhanda (Montpellier)
Age: 22
Possible fee: £12m
Interested clubs: Tottenham, Arsenal, Liverpool, PSG, Lyon, Roma

An extremely talented playmaker, Belhanda played a huge part in leading Montpellier to their first-ever title last season and scored a cheeky penalty against Arsenal in this season’s Champions League, prompting Arsene Wenger to say: “His technique is so good it can influence any game. I love this player.” Plays his international football for Morocco and was on the shortlist for African Player of the Year in 2012.

19. Gary Hooper (Celtic)
Age: 23
Possible fee: £8m
Interested clubs: Southampton, West Ham, Sunderland, QPR

The rumour mill has Hooper being most coveted by the unlikely pairing of Southampton and Juventus, but the presence on the south coast of Nigel Adkins, under whom Hooper first made his name at Scunthorpe, makes them the more likely bidders. QPR have been linked with the striker for more than a year, and despite now being on to their third manager in 12 months are still said to be keen. But staying to play in the Champions League with Celtic still seems far more likely than opting for a relegation battle in England.

20. Andrei Arshavin (Arsenal)
Age: 31
Possible fee: £4m
Interested clubs: Reading, Fulham, Galatasaray, Zenit St Petersburg

The Reading owner Anton Zingarevich is reported to be the driving force behind a bid to link the Russia captain with Pavel Pogrebnyak but Fulham are also keen on masterminding a revitalisation project with the playmaker who made such a stellar start at the Emirates but has languished down a career cul-de-sac for the past 18 months. Galatasaray were close to a deal in the summer and Istanbul gossip suggests they remain interested while Zenit were understood to have made an inquiry in November to take Arshavin back to the Petrovsky Stadium for a third spell.

Continue From: 2013 January Transfer Window Targets (Part 1)

Source: Associated Press, Guardian, Fox Sports