Stephen Bunting is on a mission to reach the Premier League Finals Night at London’s 02 Arena, only weeks after being counted out completely.
Bunting was bottom and winless after the first three nights, with many questioning his inclusion in the tournament.
But he went from pointless to champion in one emphatic burst on night four, seeing off Luke Humphries, Jonny Clayton and Gian van Veen to win in Belfast.
The Bullet has since taken just two points from the last three weeks, most recently losing 6-3 to Luke Littler, though his performances mean he can’t be ruled out of top four contention.
How Stephen Bunting can finish in the top four
On Thursday night in Dublin, Bunting matched Littler closely throughout, but he was just outclassed by the Nuke’s razor-sharp accuracy on the doubles.
The 19-year-old was exceptional at the two-figure outshots, and that was ultimately the difference as Bunting lost despite averaging 104.10.
That has been the theme of his tournament so far, producing the third-highest average (99.14) after seven weeks, but converting the third-fewest amount of doubles (36.36%).
Poor timing and a lack of composure on the doubles are arguably the reasons Bunting has only made it past the quarter-final stage on two occasions.
If he can start combining exceptional timing and finishing with his already sensational scoring, the 40-year-old can make a strong challenge for a top-four finish in the second half of the season.
| Pos | Player | Matches Won | Points |
| 1 | Jonny Clayton | 11 | 19 |
| 2 | Luke Littler | 8 | 16 |
| 3 | Gerwyn Price | 7 | 12 |
| 4 | Luke Humphries | 6 | 11 |
| 5 | Michael van Gerwen | 5 | 10 |
| 6 | Gian van Veen | 6 | 9 |
| 7 | Stephen Bunting | 4 | 7 |
| 8 | Josh Rock | 0 | 0 |
As it stands, the Liverpudlian is only four points shy of a play-off place, and that is a huge improvement on his 2025 campaign when he failed to secure a victory in the first eight weeks.
Bunting is proving the doubters wrong
Ahead of the Premier League campaign, many questioned Bunting’s inclusion in the tournament, as they felt either James Wade, Danny Noppert, or Nathan Aspinall were more deserving of a place.
The Target Void Challenge – Inspired by Stephen Bunting G5 Void ⚫
— Target Darts (@TargetDarts) March 20, 2026
Millimetres from hitting a maximum in pitch black, The Bullet is pure class 👌#TeamTarget pic.twitter.com/fq5I495m0X
But even though he’s currently second bottom, his performances for the most part have been impressive, and he’s demonstrated why he’s among the elite players in the sport.
Indeed, only Littler and Humphries have averaged 105-plus more times than Bunting in this year’s Premier League, and he will be pleased with how he’s started.
The big challenge for the Bullet now is to make a strong pursuit for the play-offs, and that begins with the gruelling task of facing Littler once more next week.
