Darts Premier League
Premier League Darts play-offs preview: Four seeking glory
It’s the final night of the Premier League in which four of the sport’s best will fight it out to be crowned champion. Five-time Premier League winner Michael van Gerwen, last year’s runner-up Nathan Aspinall as well as Premier League debutants Jose De Sousa and Jonny Clayton round off the top four.
We’ve taken a look at each of the players and who the market is favouring.
MVG back on top
Michael van Gerwen ended night 16 on the top of the table meaning that he’s finished top in all but one of every Premier League he’s played in. An incredible statistic that could signify that the Dutchmen is back to the top of his game. Furthermore, the highest number of points he’s collated in a Premier League season is 24 and Thursday night’s win over Peter Wright meant that he was only one point off that number.
Now on a run of three consecutive victories, MVG is the current tournament favourite, heading the market at 5/4. He’ll play Jonny Clayton in the semi-finals in what could be the game of the night.
Special performance from the Special One
Apart from Van Gerwen, Jose De Sousa may be the player of the tournament. He’s rocketed into life the past few days and looks like a man on a mission. He also tucked away an incredible 120 finish by sinking three at double top. In his first full season in the Premier League, he’s had nine 100+ averages which put him level with Phil Taylor with two games to go. The most is MVG and the eliminated Dimitri Van den Bergh (10).
Another incredible statistic is that the Special One hasn’t missed a dart at double 16 since night 10, hitting it with each of his last 12 darts. If he can continue this high-scoring clinical form, he could be the man to lift the trophy.
Jose is currently second in the market at 11/4 but after breaking the Premier League 180 record last night, he’s Evens to have the most 180s in session.
The Asp wants to go one better
As last year’s runner up, Nathan Aspinall was close to securing his first-ever Premier League title. The current world number 10 has looked solid throughout the tournament, but two defeats in his last two matches, including one against Jose De Sousa who he faces in the semi-finals, may have put a small dent in his confidence. However, if anyone can bounce back it’s Aspinall and if he could get a result against in-form De Sousa in the semis, then he has every chance of going one step further than last year.
Aspinall is 4/1 to win the tournament and his match against Jose De Sousa is 3/10 to be the match with the most 180s.
The Ferret aiming for another title
Jonny Clayton has enjoyed a successful year thus far and has been thrust firmly in the limelight. He picked up £80k for securing his play-off spot which is the biggest payday of his career. He’s looking to add to that sum with Premier League success in what would be the second consecutive time that a debutant has won the tournament after Glenn Durrant’s triumph last year.
Many fancied Clayton to continue his form at the start of the tournament and that he did. However, he found himself in a straight shootout with Dimitri van den Bergh for a top-four position which he successfully navigated last night.
He has a tough assignment in his semi-final game against van Gerwen and a result against him would be monumental going into the final. The Ferret is the biggest price out of the four at 9/2.
