Luke Littler, Luke Humphries and Gerwyn Price have secured places in the Premier League Darts Play-Offs, with the last spot up for grabs during the final two nights of the regular season.
Reigning champion Littler – who beat Humphries in last year’s final, hitting a nine-dart finish to boot – leads the table on 38 points thanks chiefly to a record five nightly wins.
Humphries (31 points) and Price (24 points) confirmed their top-four positions in Leeds on Night 14 and that trio can now look forward to finals night at London’s O2 Arena on Thursday, May 29.
Premier League Darts table – standings after Night 14
The real intrigue, though, is behind them, with four players – Michael van Gerwen, Nathan Aspinall, Rob Cross and Chris Dobey – still in the running to snatch the fourth and final berth.
Michael van Gerwen sits in the fourth and final Play-Off position with two weeks of the regular season remaining
Van Gerwen and Aspinall the frontrunners
Seven-time Premier League champion Van Gerwen is fourth in the table on 20 points heading into the penultimate week in Aberdeen on May 15 – where he will play the man one place and point behind him in the standings in Aspinall.
If Van Gerwen were to win the night and claim the full five points, he would wrap up a Play-Off position as he would be an unassailable six points ahead of Aspinall before the final evening of regular action in Sheffield on May 22.
However, if Aspinall were to take the trophy in Aberdeen and move on to 24 points, the only way Van Gerwen would possibly be able to leapfrog him is by winning in Yorkshire a week later.
As the Night 16 fixtures are determined by league placings at that point – first vs eighth, second vs seventh, third vs sixth and fourth vs fifth – there is the distinct possibility that Van Gerwen and Aspinall could meet again in Sheffield.
Nathan Aspinall is still in the mix for a Play-Off place
Van Gerwen could move up to third if he wins the night in Aberdeen and Price is beaten in the quarter-finals by the already-eliminated Stephen Bunting but Aspinall will definitely be fourth or fifth.
Even if Aspinall is defeated by Van Gerwen in Scotland and Cross goes on to win the night and move level on 15 points with Aspinall, ‘The Asp’ will remain ahead of Cross by virtue of match wins – 11 to Cross’ 10.
Rob Cross is an outsider for the top four
Cross and Dobey just about afloat
Cross – the only player other than Van Gerwen yet to win a night this season – and Dobey harbour slender Play-Off ambitions but whoever loses their quarter-final in Aberdeen will be out of contention.
Dobey must win the final two nights to have a chance of qualifying for the top four.
Doing that would take him to 22 points and leave him able, if other results go his way, to finish ahead of Van Gerwen, Aspinall and Cross.
Chris Dobey must win the final two nights of the regular season to stand a chance of reaching the top four
Who will top the table?
Littler will wrap that achievement up if he beats second-placed Humphries in the Aberdeen quarter-finals.
Humphries must win both nights to have a chance of overtaking Littler as if they are level on points after 16 weeks, Littler’s superior number of nightly wins will put him ahead of Humphries.
Premier League Darts – remaining league fixtures
Night 15: Aberdeen (May 15)
Quarter-finals
- Michael van Gerwen vs Nathan Aspinall
- Gerwyn Price vs Stephen Bunting
- Chris Dobey vs Rob Cross
- Luke Littler vs Luke Humphries
Night 16: Sheffield (May 22)
Fixtures will be based on the league standings after Night 15
Quarter-finals
- 1st vs 8th
- 2nd vs 7th
- 3rd vs 6th
- 4th vs 5th
Watch Night 15 of Premier League Darts, in Aberdeen, live on Sky Sports Action from 7pm on Thursday May 15. Stream darts and more top sport with NOW – no contract.
