FA Cup third round
Today's FA Cup matchesWigan v Everton
Kick off: 1.30pm TV: Sky Sports 1
* In pics: Premier League action
* Premier League Transfer Talk
Unlikely fairytale
It is a classic boys' own story; the 16-year-old leaves his provincial town in Ecuador without his father's knowledge, makes an eight-hour bus journey to the capital, Quito, and seeks his fame and fortune as a footballer.
He breaks into El Nacional's first team, gets a move to Europe with Villarreal, stars at the World Cup and winds up at… Wigan.
All right, so that may not seem everybody's idea of a fairytale ending, but Antonio Valencia is content enough to have signed a three-and-a-half year contract at the JJB Stadium after a season and a half on loan.
Looking up
Injuries hampered Valencia's prospects under Paul Jewell and Chris Hutchings, but he expresses confidence that things are looking up for him and Wigan with Steve Bruce in charge.
"It was frustrating being injured and unable to get a run in the team," Valencia said. "But since the arrival of the new manager, I have been fit, in better form and we are picking up points.
"We should be thinking positively and not just about staving off relegation."
Top crop
Everton manager David Moyes believes his present charges are better than those who qualified for the Champions League.
"We have been playing well, have good players and have momentum," said the Scot ahead of today's trip to the JJB Stadium.
"I think we are in good shape; our form has been good for months now."
Moyes also believes Bruce has done a good job since leaving Birmingham.
"Wigan have picked up recently and I see it as being a difficult game," said Moyes.
"Steve has got them moving in the right direction and they've had a few good results.
"We, though, are in a better position [than when they finished fourth in 2005]. I think we are a stronger squad than three years ago."
Manchester City v West Ham
Kick off: 4pm TV: Sky Sports 1
Warning for Liverpool
Martin Petrov speaks six languages and his message in plain English is that Manchester City are genuine threats to Liverpool for the fourth Champions League place.
The 29-year-old Bulgarian has been a potent force in City's rise this season and senses that Liverpool may be there for the taking.
"I think it is realistic for us to aim for the Uefa Cup," the £4.7m summer signing from Atletico Madrid said. "But if Liverpool continue to play as they have been doing, it is possible for us, or one of a number of clubs, to overtake them."
My mate Dimitar
Petrov was also courted by Tottenham and decided against teaming up with his best friend, Dimitar Berbatov, to join City.
"I have to do what is best for me," Petrov said. "I believe Berbatov and Fernando Torres, my team-mate at Atletico Madrid, are the two best strikers in the Premier League.
"We have some good players here, too. I didn't know anything about Micah Richards until I came to the club and he is very impressive."
Mind games
Petrov set up Elano to knock West Ham out of the FA Cup on Wednesday, but the Londoners are prepared, both physically and mentally, to atone for that defeat.
Matthew Upson has enlisted psychological advice to improve his club form and enhance his prospects of an England call-up.
Upson said: "I've been turning out consistently good performances, something I've been working hard on for the last 18 months - mentally preparing myself for games. We analyse everything and it's starting to pay off.
"We did enough midweek to suggest we are capable of getting a result at Man City. It's clearly about results for West Ham, but England is something I'm definitely thinking about."
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