Aktuelles » ur over the map and plot out how they

LONDON -- Usually Friday night is one the quietest times in the frenzied world of the English Premier League. Players can be found on gaming consoles in hotel rooms on the eve of games, or resting at home in anticipation of a Sunday game. But the pre-game calm will be shattered by the closing of the winter transfer window on Friday, with clubs racing to sign reinforcements or offload rejects for the final time this season. Here are five things to know about the transfer deadline-day and the weekends Premier League matches: CLASH OF THE CHALLENGERSManchester City and Chelsea will be relieved their fixture has been shunted back to Monday, minimizing any disruption for their top-of-the-table meeting. "Its the ultimate test," Chelsea defender Gary Cahill said. "Its going to be a really, really tough game." The City squad hardly needs much tinkering. Manuel Pellegrinis side took its goal tally this season to 115 in all competitions with a 5-1 thumping of Tottenham that took them back to the Premier League summit. At the same time, though, Chelsea was being frustrated by West Ham — drawing 0-0 — and travels to the Etihad three points behind City. The game pits the stingiest defence — Chelsea has conceded 20 in 23 — against the leagues most prolific attack — City has scored 68 in 23. "As a collective unit, as a whole team, were working really hard defensively, not just at the back," Cahill said. Chelsea got the better of City in their last clash, winning 2-1 at Stamford Bridge in October. ARSENAL BLIPBeing knocked off the top has taken the wind out of Arsenals title charge. And after being held at Southampton, the Gunners host a resurgent Crystal Palace on Sunday. "The kind of performance we delivered at Southampton will not move us forward, so lets focus to come back on Sunday and produce a good performance," Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said. By then will there be any new faces in an Arsenal side looking to produce a first trophy since 2005? Its unclear. "Are we active? Yes. Are we close to sign anybody? No," Wenger said on Thursday. "There is not long now, that is true." Top of the target list is Julian Draxler, but Schalke doesnt seem to be a willing seller. Schalke sporting director Horst Heldt said he was "very convinced" the 20-year-old attacking midfielder will remain at the German club for the rest of the season. Arsenal will be without midfielders Jack Wilshere, who has an ankle problem, and Aaron Ramsey, who faces several weeks out with a thigh injury. LEAKY TOTTENHAMTottenham was brought down to earth with a bang by City on Wednesday as Tim Sherwoods unbeaten start as manager in the league ended. The north London club, which has conceded 11 goals to City this season, has what seems to be an easy trip to Hull on Saturday. "We have to be positive because we are still fifth, three points behind Liverpool," goalkeeper Hugo Lloris said. "So it is open. We just need to be focused." NORTH-EAST DERBYNewcastle is preparing for the derby against Sunderland on Saturday still trying to replace Yohan Cabaye, having received more than $27 million for the midfielder from Paris Saint-Germain this week. Manager Alan Pardew is waiting for a bid for Lyon midfielder Clement Grenier to be accepted. "He has tremendous creative technical ability," Pardew said. Sunderland, which is out of the relegation zone for the first time since August, signed Argentina striker Ignacio Scocco on Thursday from Internacional. MOYES EYES MOMENTUMManchester United is chasing its first back-to-back league wins in a month when the champions face Stoke on Saturday still in seventh place. David Moyes push for the top four is being helped by how easily record-signing Juan Mata slotted into the team for a 2-0 win over Cardiff on Tuesday after joining from Chelsea. "Juan looked like he had been here for years," winger Ashley Young said. "He had only been training for two days and it was his first game but he has gelled straight away." Cheap Nike Sneakers .Y. -- When the New York Islanders lead was cut in half in the opening minute of the third period, the sense of impending doom began wafting through Nassau Coliseum. Wholesale Sneakers . -- New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman has no concerns about the health of shortstop Derek Jeter, who was limited to 17 games last season due to leg injuries. http://www.cheapsneakers.us/ . It was the quickest three-goal sequence in Olympic history, with the latter two coming just eight seconds apart. Kessel, Lamoureux and Kendall Coyne all scored twice for the Americans, and Molly Schaus made 10 saves in her Sochi debut. Adidas Sneakers Cheap .C. United on Saturday night and boost the Unions playoff hopes. Nick DeLeon scored in the 36th minute for United (3-23-6), which had ample opportunities to build on its lead but went its 10th straight match without a victory. Cheap Sneakers China .C. -- Carter Ashton had a pair of goals and added an assist as the Toronto Marlies downed the Charlotte Checkers 5-2 on Saturday in the American Hockey League.SALT LAKE CITY - In a story Dec. 8 about Vail Resorts investments in two Utah ski resorts, The Associated Press reported erroneously which resort was purchased by Powdr Corp. executive Ian Cumming. Cumming purchased the majority interest of Snowbird Ski and Summer Resort, not Solitude Mountain Resort.A corrected version of the story is below:Vail to invest $50M, connect 2 Utah ski resortsVail to invest $50 million, including new high-speed gondola to connect 2 Utah ski resortsBy BRADY McCOMBSAssociated PressA new high-speed gondola is set to be built this summer to connect two Utah ski resorts and create one of the largest ski areas in the country, Vail Resorts Inc. announced Monday.The lift connecting Park City Mountain Resort and Canyons Resort is the key part of $50 million in investments planned at the two resorts ahead of the 2015-16 ski season. Other plans include making two other lifts bigger and faster, building one new restaurant and upgrading two others, and improving snowmaking.It will be a transformational makeover that will give skiers and snowboarders a much better experience, said Bill Rock, Park City Mountain Resort chief operating officer. The projects are pending approval from city and county officials in Park City.Putting the two resorts together has been the vision for a long time, Rock said. Its great for our company, its great for Park City, and its great for Utah skiing.Vail bought Park City Mountain Resort in September for $182.5 million, resolving a messy legal battle between Vail and Powdr Corp. that threatened to cancel the ski season. Vail began leasing and operating Canyons in May 2013.The 7,300 combined acres of skiable terrain certainly will make it among the nations largest, said Michael Berry, president of the National Ski Areas Association. His association doesnt track the size of U.S. resorts by skiable acres to say for sure which is the biggest.Skiers already can buy one ticket and ski both resorts this season. But without a connecting lift, theyll have to take ground transportation to do that.The makeover is one of the largest investments in Utah ski resorts since Talisker Corp. invested about $75 million over several years in the early 2010s to improve and upgrade Canyons before Vail took over the resort.It marks yet anotherr significant moment in what has been a big year for the Utah ski industry, which is garnering attention across North America, said Ralf Garrison, a Denver-based ski industry consultant with The Advisory Group.dddddddddddd History shows skiers are drawn to new and more combined terrain.Also in the past year, Deer Valley Resort bought Solitude Mountain Resort and will take it over in 2015. Powdr Corp. executive Ian Cumming purchased the majority interest of Snowbird Ski and Summer Resort. And officials continue to work toward a long-term plan of building a series of chairlifts that would link seven ski areas and give Utah a European-style experienceThat plan gets a turbo charge from the connecting lift at Park City Mountain Resort and Canyons, leaving only two connecting lifts to be planned and constructed to make the ambitious project a reality, said Nathan Rafferty, president of the trade group Ski Utah.The new plans help shine the spotlight on Utah, which is vital in a very competitive ski industry, Rafferty said.Skiers and snowboarders are adventurists, and they are always looking for the next adventure, Rafferty said. People get to pour over the map and plot out how they are going to ski those two mountains together. Thats a lot of skiing.Not everybody in Utah was thrilled about the announcement. Carl Fisher, executive director of Save Our Canyons, said the connecting lift plan is less impactful on the mountain than other proposals. But he said the totality of the projects represents the continuation of a troubling trend of hyper-development of ski mountains that started years ago.Skiing is an activity to try and get out and connect with nature, whether its at the resort or in the backcountry, Fisher said. This is taking away from its core.The new gondola will seat eight people and take about 9 minutes to get from the Silverlode lift at Park City Mountain Resort to the Flatiron lift at Canyons, Vail officials said. It will include a stop-off point midway at Pine Cone Ridge, where skiers will be able to cruise down two new trails.It marks the first gondola at the resort since an old one was shut down in 1983.The combined resorts will be known in the future as Park City Mountain Resort, Rock said. Canyons will be known as Canyons at Park City. ' ' '