Van Gerwen wins opening Premier League night

ByIan Mitchelmore

BBC Sport Wales at Utilita Arena, Newcastle

Michael van Gerwen kick-started his bid for an eighth Premier League title in style with victory on night one of the 2026 tournament in Newcastle.

The Dutchman beat compatriot Gian van Veen 6-4 in the final to earn the £10,000 nightly prize and claim the first five points of the new season.

"It's definitely a good start - without even playing my A performance, I still won," he told Sky Sports.

"I think I was deadly. I had some fantastic finishing in the right moments.

"Whenever I had to perform on my own leg, I did it. That makes you win games."

Van Veen impressed on debut and edged to a 6-4 quarter-final win over world number one Luke Littler - who beat him in the 2026 World Championship final.

He followed up that triumph with a 6-4 win in the semi-finals against 2021 champion Jonny Clayton - who had averaged 109.81 in defeating debutant Josh Rock 6-2 in the last eight.

But Van Veen came unstuck in a tight contest with Van Gerwen, who averaged seven points more than the European champion in the final to take victory.

It was a real boost for Van Gerwen, who failed to reach finals night last year for only the second time in 13 attempts.

The three-time world champion reeled off six consecutive legs to come from 2-0 down and beat Stephen Bunting 6-2 in the quarter-finals.

In the semi-finals, he earned another 6-2 win over reigning champion Luke Humphries - who had edged past Gerwyn Price 6-5 in a last-eight thriller.

Van Gerwen hit six of his seven attempts at double against Humphries before winning the all-Dutch final in the north-east of England.

Quarter-finals

Josh Rock 2-6 Jonny Clayton

Luke Littler 4-6 Gian van Veen

Luke Humphries 6-5 Gerwyn Price

Stephen Bunting 2-6 Michael van Gerwen

Semi-finals

Jonny Clayton 4-6 Gian van Veen

Luke Humphries 2-6 Michael van Gerwen

Final

Michael van Gerwen 6-4 Gian van Veen

Premier League Darts is played across 16 initial weeks in the league stage with quarter-finals, semi-finals and a final each night.

Each of the eight players is guaranteed to face the other seven in the quarter-finals in weeks one to seven and 9-15, with week eight and week 16 fixtures done off the table. It means we will get fourth v fifth in Sheffield on the final league-stage night, with the play-off spots potentially on the line.

Players earn two points per quarter-final win, an additional point if they win their semi-final and five for winning the night.

The top four players after the group stage progress to the play-off night at London's O2 Arena on 23 May, with first facing fourth and second against third in a best-of-19-leg match. The final, which is the best of 21 legs, follows.

If players are level on points after the 16 weeks then places are decided by nights won and then matches won.

Thursday, 12 February - FAS Dome, Antwerp

Quarter-finals (from 19:15 GMT)

Luke Littler v Luke Humphries

Michael van Gerwen v Josh Rock

Jonny Clayton v Stephen Bunting

Gerwyn Price v Gian van Veen