Van Gerwen Wins Opening Premier League Night

ByIan Mitchelmore

BBC Sport Wales astatine Utilita Arena, Newcastle

Michael van Gerwen kick-started his bid for an eighth Premier League title successful style pinch triumph connected nighttime 1 of nan 2026 tourney successful Newcastle.

The Dutchman hit compatriot Gian van Veen 6-4 successful nan last to gain nan £10,000 nightly prize and declare nan first 5 points of nan caller season.

"It's decidedly a bully commencement - without moreover playing my A performance, I still won," he told Sky Sports.

"I deliberation I was deadly. I had immoderate awesome finishing successful nan correct moments.

"Whenever I had to execute connected my ain leg, I did it. That makes you triumph games."

Van Veen impressed connected debut and edged to a 6-4 quarter-final triumph complete world number 1 Luke Littler - who hit him successful nan 2026 World Championship final.

He followed up that triumph pinch a 6-4 triumph successful nan semi-finals against 2021 champion Jonny Clayton - who had averaged 109.81 successful defeating debutant Josh Rock 6-2 successful nan past eight.

But Van Veen came unstuck successful a tight title pinch Van Gerwen, who averaged 7 points much than nan European champion successful nan last to return victory.

It was a existent boost for Van Gerwen, who grounded to scope finals nighttime past twelvemonth for only nan 2nd clip successful 13 attempts.

The three-time world champion reeled disconnected six consecutive legs to travel from 2-0 down and hit Stephen Bunting 6-2 successful nan quarter-finals.

In nan semi-finals, he earned different 6-2 triumph complete reigning champion Luke Humphries - who had edged past Gerwyn Price 6-5 successful a last-eight thriller.

Van Gerwen deed six of his 7 attempts astatine double against Humphries earlier winning nan all-Dutch last successful nan north-east of England.

Quarter-finals

Josh Rock 2-6 Jonny Clayton

Luke Littler 4-6 Gian van Veen

Luke Humphries 6-5 Gerwyn Price

Stephen Bunting 2-6 Michael van Gerwen

Semi-finals

Jonny Clayton 4-6 Gian van Veen

Luke Humphries 2-6 Michael van Gerwen

Final

Michael van Gerwen 6-4 Gian van Veen

Premier League Darts is played crossed 16 first weeks successful nan convention shape pinch quarter-finals, semi-finals and a last each night.

Each of nan 8 players is guaranteed to look nan different 7 successful nan quarter-finals successful weeks 1 to 7 and 9-15, pinch week 8 and week 16 fixtures done disconnected nan table. It intends we will get 4th v 5th successful Sheffield connected nan last league-stage night, pinch nan play-off spots perchance connected nan line.

Players gain 2 points per quarter-final win, an further constituent if they triumph their semi-final and 5 for winning nan night.

The apical 4 players aft nan group shape advancement to nan play-off nighttime astatine London's O2 Arena connected 23 May, pinch first facing 4th and 2nd against 3rd successful a best-of-19-leg match. The final, which is nan champion of 21 legs, follows.

If players are level connected points aft nan 16 weeks past places are decided by nights won and past matches won.

Thursday, 12 February - FAS Dome, Antwerp

Quarter-finals (from 19:15 GMT)

Luke Littler v Luke Humphries

Michael van Gerwen v Josh Rock

Jonny Clayton v Stephen Bunting

Gerwyn Price v Gian van Veen