This week, the longest PDC Darts tournament of the year will come to an end. The PDC Premier League started back in February just a month or so after the final of the World Championships and since then, over 15 weeks of action, an original group of nine players (originally ten before Gary Anderson withdrew through injury) have been in action to decide who makes it through.
With Raymond van Barneveld the first to be eliminated on Judgement Night on Week eight, the remaining eight players have been battling out across the next seven weeks, facing each other once again to earn one of the four spots available in the Playoffs which takes place this week at the 02 Arena in London.
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Let’s take a quick look now at how the last round of fixtures in Leeds last week saw the Premier League table end up.
Premier League Final Table 2019
- Michael van Gerwen – 23
- Rob Cross – 22
- James Wade – 20
- Daryl Gurney – 19
- Gerwyn Price – 18
- Mensur Suljovic – 17
- Michael Smith – 10
- Peter Wright – 9
- Raymond van Barneveld – 4 (eliminated on Judgement Night)
By Week 14, we already knew that Rob Cross, Michael van Gerwen and James Wade had done enough to qualify for the Playoffs and that left just one final space to be decided in the last round of games. Gerwyn Price put the pressure on when he won the opening match against Peter Wright to move temporarily into the playoff position, but he needed Daryl Gurney to slip up in the next game up against Michael Smith.
Gurney though has found his form in this tournament and emerged with a fine 8-3 win over Smith to move above Price and into the playoffs as it meant that Mensur Suljovic could no longer catch him as was confirmed when Suljovic lost his match to Michael van Gerwen. That win put van Gerwen top of the table ahead of Cross by a point but the Englishman could win the league section with a victory over James Wade in the final game of the night.
With both players qualified, the pressure was off and it was Wade who came to the fore, narrowly winning 8-6 to ensure he finished third in the table and avoided facing van Gerwen, who finished top and meaning that Cross and Wade will cross swords again in the Playoff semifinals this week.
Premier League Darts History
The first tournament was contested back in 2005 and it was dominated in its early years by Phil Taylor. The Potteries legend won the first four Premier League titles from 2005 to 2008 inclusive but then in 2009 James Wade broke his stranglehold to claim his only victory in the tournament when defeating Mervyn King. Taylor’s wins in 2010 and 2012 were punctuated by Gary Anderson;s first victory in 2011, which was followed in 2015 by his second.
By 2013 though Michael van Gerwen was on the scene and the Dutchman has made the final of every Premier League tournament he has entered, winning on his first attempt in 2013 before losing in the final in both 2014 and 2015 to Raymand van Barneveld and Gary Anderson respectively. However since 2016, this has been van Gerwen’s tournament and he has won all three and in last year’s final against Michael Smith, he averaged a record 112.37 when beating the St Helen’s player.
This will be the eighth year in a row the finals will have been held at the 02 Arena, having previously been held at the Wembley Arena and before that at four different venues in the first four years of the championship.
Premier League Playoff Semi Finals
The semifinals are the best of 19 legs and the final, which is played after the two semifinals have been completed is played over the best of 21 legs.
- Michael van Gerwen (Holland) v Daryl Gurney (Northern Ireland)
Michael van Gerwen is the big favourite to win this match and it is not surprising given that he has appeared in all of the last six Premier League finals, winning four of those including all of the last three finals. However, in this year’s tournament, Gurney has beaten the Dutchman on both occasions that they have played and the Irishman will feel that he has a real chance of causing a big upset here. The slightly longer format of the semifinal though I feel pushes this in Michael’s favour and while Gurney is the form player in this event over the last few weeks, I think the Dutchman’s greater class and experience will see him through here.
Tip – Michael van Gerwen to win 10-6 – 11/2
- Rob Cross (England) v James Wade (England)
Both of these Englishmen have enjoyed a positive experience in the Premier League this season and both have been performing consistently throughout the tournament. Wade is a former winner of the event and after a period of poor performances a couple of years ago has really bounced back into top form over the last 10 months or so. Cross too, after a lull following his World Championship win, has started to look back to his best and I can see this one being every bit as tight as the match up between the two last week. Wade just about edged that one and I fancy the former Premier League champion to spring an upset here in what should be another close battle.
Tip – James Wade to win 10-8 – 17/2
Outright Winner
Assuming that we get both tips right and it is a Van Gerwen v Wade final, then this would be an interesting match up.. Wade actually has the better of it between the two players in this year’s tournament winning the opening match between the two 7-3 on Week Four in Exeter and then he drew 7-7 in Phase 2 of the tournament with van Gerwen in Birmingham. Wade will also have good home support here and I think he is in such good form that he cannot be ruled out. You can back him before the tournament starts to get a better price.
Tip – James Wade to win outright – 13/2 at bet365
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