Stephen Bunting has faced more criticism than anyone in the Premier League since the competition started again in February.
The Bullet’s inclusion in the tournament was questioned after finishing bottom in 2025 and taking until night eight to win his first match.
A similar narrative threatened to unfold when he tasted three consecutive defeats, but the performances were always promising, and he finally tasted glory on night four in Belfast.
Going from pointless to champion in one emphatic burst at the SSE Arena, Bunting produced one of his best performances on the TV stage to secure victory in Northern Ireland.
"One of the best wins of my career" 🗣️
— Sky Sports Darts (@SkySportsDarts) February 26, 2026
Stephen Bunting reacts to his win in Belfast. pic.twitter.com/ht5kjnM6py
Including a 106 average in quarter-final and semi-final wins over Luke Humphries and Jonny Clayton, respectively, the 40-year-old was also measured and controlled in a 6-2 triumph over Gian van Veen in the final.
Now, after shooting up to fifth in the table and only two points behind fourth-place Gerwyn Price, Bunting is raring to go ahead of night five in Cardiff.
Stephen Bunting sends defiant message ahead of Cardiff
Speaking to PDC before his quarter-final showdown against hometown hero Price, the Liverpudlian stressed that he’s still ‘one of the best players in the world’ and believes he deserves to compete in this prestigious tournament.
“I still believe I’m one of the best players in the world and deserve to be in this Premier League; that win in Belfast goes a long way to say why I should be here,” he said.
“This has to rank up there with one of the best wins of my career. I was a bit emotional early on after my first game, but I held it together.”
Bunting was unfortunate not to have picked up a win before his hat-trick in Belfast, throwing away games on two occasions.
Michael van Gerwen came from two legs behind to beat the world No. 6 on night one, and then Clayton fought back from four legs down to win 6-4 a week later.
| 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 |
Those two defeats were a bitter pill for Bunting to swallow, but he only used those setbacks as fuel to demonstrate his ruthless edge on night four.
Bunting’s exceptional Premier League stats
The challenge for Bunting is to use that nightly win as a platform to push into the play-offs, and the statistics suggest he has every reason to feel confident about his abilities.
Only Humphries (103.25) has averaged higher than Bunting’s 100.99 in the Premier League, with the Bullet showcasing his consistent ton-plus hitting across the first four nights.
The darting phenomenon is also clinical on the outer ring, as his 46.55% on the checkouts is only bettered by Clayton. Indeed, his nerveless performances on night four helped bump up his doubling percentage.
A similar level of performance against Price could land him his fourth win in a row, and in turn, continue to prove the critics wrong.
