Week nine of the Premier League heads to Manchester’s AO Arena, and all eyes will be on whether Luke Littler can continue his incredible run of form.
Littler produced darts from a different galaxy to triumph in Berlin last week as he picked up his third nightly win in four weeks.
The 19-year-old is now top of the Premier League table following a sluggish start, having replaced Jonny Clayton after his shock defeat against Josh Rock.
While Littler’s spot at London’s 02 Arena for Finals Nights is almost guaranteed, the race for the play-offs is heating up, and Michael van Gerwen is one of the contenders.
Michael van Gerwen can finish in the Premier League’s top four
Van Gerwen ended a five-match winless run in the Premier League last week, dispatching Luke Humphries and Rock before losing to Littler in a dramatic final.
Luke Littler you are ridiculous hahahaha
— Josh (@joshpearson180) March 26, 2026
pic.twitter.com/wWavpMbURU
The 36-year-old was on the receiving end of two 170 checkouts from Littler, as the three-time world champion tasted a 6-4 defeat despite averaging 103.87.
Nonetheless, the all-important three points for reaching the final increased his tally to 13, putting him only one behind Gerwyn Price, but two ahead of fifth-place Humphries.
As it stands, six players are battling for the final three play-off spots – assuming Littler is already nailed on for a top four finish – and Van Gerwen will feel confident of his chances.
| Pos | Player | Pts | Nights Won |
| 1 | Luke Littler | 21 | 3 |
| 2 | Jonny Clayton | 19 | 2 |
| 3 | Gerwyn Price | 14 | 1 |
| 4 | Michael van Gerwen | 13 | 1 |
| 5 | Luke Humphries | 11 | 0 |
| 6 | Gian van Veen | 9 | 0 |
| 7 | Stephen Bunting | 7 | 1 |
| 8 | Josh Rock | 2 | 0 |
The Dutchman has maintained above 40% on the checkouts, and his tournament average is creeping closer to 100.
While the Green Machine is no longer a juggernaut on the treble 20, he did show glimpses of his scoring power in the final against Littler.
It says a lot when the Nuke had to conjure up a big fish twice to win the match after Van Gerwen levelled the score at 3-3, and this is the level he’s capable of.
A huge week incoming for Van Gerwen
Van Gerwen reached the last 16 of Players Championship 7 on Monday afternoon, with the seven-time Premier League champion suffering a shock 6-3 defeat to Jeffrey Sparidaans.
Mighty Mike did, however, record the sixth-highest average of the day, beating Ricky Evans 6-2 with a stunning 105 in the first round of the tournament.
🔝📊 𝗣𝗖𝟳
— PremiumDartdata (@PremiumDartData) March 30, 2026
109.43 Barry🇮🇪
108.33 Anderson🏴
106.09 Dobey🏴
105.53 Anderson🏴
105.03 Soutar🏴
105.00 van Gerwen🇳🇱
104.89 Dobey🏴
104.50 Searle🏴
104.47 Hurrell🏴
104.12 Barry🇮🇪
103.97 Anderson🏴
102.55 Merk🇩🇪
102.25 Hurrell🏴
102.24 Heta🇦🇺
102.19 Searle🏴
102.19 O’Connor🇮🇪
Day two of the action in Leicester sees Van Gerwen take on Cor Dekker in the first round, and he will want to build some momentum ahead of Thursday night.
A quarter-final showdown against Stephen Bunting awaits, another player hoping to make a charge for the play-offs.
With Humphries breathing down his neck, Van Gerwen knows the importance of beating Bunting to somewhat ease the pressure.
Van Gerwen missed out on Finals Night last year for the first time since 2020, and he’s desperate not to finish below the top four for a second year in a row.
