The Premier League promises to serve up more unrivalled drama at the Utilita Arena in Cardiff on Thursday night.
Last week, it was Stephen Bunting’s surge to a nightly win in Belfast that shocked everyone following his poor start to the tournament.
Three wins and five points for The Bullet moved him ahead of Luke Littler and Luke Humphries in the table, as their struggles continued in Northern Ireland.
Humphries suffered a 6-4 defeat against Bunting in the quarter-final, while Littler was on the receiving end of another Jonny Clayton masterclass.
Having racked up just four points each from the opening four nights, all eyes are on whether they can bounce back in Cardiff and begin their ascent towards the play-offs.
Michael van Gerwen vs Luke Humphries
Finishing has been a problem for Humphries this tournament, and the reigning Premier League champion has been punished for complacency on the outer ring.
Stephen Bunting gets his first win in this year's Premier League Darts following an impressive display against Luke Humphries ✅ pic.twitter.com/7yG06kBqDg
— Sky Sports Darts (@SkySportsDarts) February 26, 2026
Cool Hand has been anything but cool on the doubles. He’s posted the third-lowest checkout percentage (33.33%) in the tournament, behind only Littler and Josh Rock.
On the flip side, his scoring has been electric. Humphries has hit the joint-most 180s (26), alongside Clayton and recorded the highest tournament average (103.25).
The 31-year-old must drag his finishing towards a similar standard to his scoring, and then he will be the most unstoppable player. But until he does, world-class dartists can punish him.
Van Gerwen is the latest player looking to take advantage. He’s been superb at the mid-range checkouts, having averaged 43.18% on the doubles across the first four nights.
However, it feels only a matter of time before Humphries rediscovers his ruthless edge at the back end of legs, and it could be curtains for the Dutchman if he does.
Prediction: Van Gerwen 4-6 Humphries
Gian van Veen vs Jonny Clayton
The two early pacesetters in the Premier League lock horns on Thursday, with both looking to build on their excellent starts to the tournament.
Van Veen has reached three finals in four nights, and his latest defeat came against Bunting last week.
Clayton, meanwhile, triumphed on night three in Glasgow and secured back-to-back wins over Littler.
Jonny Clayton says it would be amazing to meet fellow Welshman Gerwyn Price in the final on night five of the Premier League Darts in Cardiff 🎯
— BBC Sport Wales (@BBCSportWales) March 5, 2026
You can follow live text commentary from night four of the Premier League today on the BBC Sport website and app 📲#bbcdarts… pic.twitter.com/BqRED9n7FW
The Ferret has arguably been the most consistent player in the tournament, having posted the joint-most 180s (26) and the highest checkout percentage (48.91%).
But against someone of Van Veen’s calibre, Clayton will have his work cut out to dominate the match and surge ahead in legs with his power scoring.
A common theme of the Dutchman’s performances throughout the tournament has been exceptional timing, and continuing to pin two and three-figure outshots will be crucial to his chances of reaching another final.
Prediction: Van Veen 6-5 Clayton
Gerwyn Price vs Stephen Bunting
Bunting produced one of his best performances on the TV stage last Thursday, with wins over Humphries, Clayton, and Van Veen to secure the nightly win in Belfast.
In his quarter-final against Humphries, Bunting punished profligacy on the outer ring, taking out 143 for a crucial break and landing a nerveless 123 on the bull to swing the match.
A sensational 109 average followed in a 6-0 whitewash of Clayton, before producing a measured and controlled performance in a 6-2 win against Van Veen in the final.
Professional Darts might be the most hype sport I've ever seen.
— rayyy lmao (@RayNarvaezJr) January 14, 2026
The walkout videos are my new favorite thing. Look at the insane amount of aura this man has!
Stephen Bunting I'll run through a wall for you🎯 pic.twitter.com/tdrINHghF9
The Bullet finally proved why he belongs on the Premier League stage, but the challenge now is to produce consistency, and that begins with a quarter-final showdown against Gerwyn Price.
The Iceman has made a solid start to the tournament, sitting fourth on seven points and with a nightly win to his game in Antwerp. During this period, he’s arguably played some of the best darts of his career and often taken games to a last-leg decider.
Price will be fired up in front of a raucous home crowd in Cardiff, and the 42-year-old could use that to his advantage against Bunting.
Price 6-4 Bunting
Luke Littler vs Josh Rock
Luke Littler came into the Premier League as the pre-tournament favourite, and many still believe he will be crowned champion come May.
But the 19-year-old has ground to make up in pursuit of a top-four finish, having recorded just one win from the first four nights, putting him only ahead of Rock in the standings.
| Pos | Player | Nights Won | Matches Won | Leg Diff | Points |
| 1 | Jonny Clayton | 1 | 6 | +12 | 11 |
| 2 | Gian van Veen | 0 | 6 | +2 | 9 |
| 3 | Michael van Gerwen | 1 | 5 | +12 | 8 |
| 4 | Gerwyn Price | 1 | 4 | +1 | 7 |
| 5 | Stephen Bunting | 1 | 3 | +3 | 5 |
| 6 | Luke Humphries | 0 | 2 | -3 | 4 |
| 7 | Luke Littler | 0 | 1 | -11 | 4 |
| 8 | Josh Rock | 0 | 0 | -16 | 0 |
Littler has been uncharacteristically wasteful on the doubles, with the second-lowest checkout percentage (30.51%), and has also hit eight fewer 180s than Clayton and Humphries.
There is a feeling that the Nuke will eventually click into top gear, though, and if that happens on Thursday night against Rock, the Northern Irishman’s poor start will continue.
Despite going winless so far, Rock did produce a stunning nine-dart leg in Belfast during his defeat to Van Veen. It was a fairytale moment for the 24-year-old in front of a home crowd, and he will need to use that moment as inspiration to avoid being cut further adrift at the bottom.
Littler 6-3 Rock
Semi-finals
Humphries 6-5 Van Veen
Littler 6-3 Price
Final
Humphries 6-4 Littler
