Jonny Clayton emerged victorious against Michael van Gerwen, clinching a 6-5 win and securing his third nightly win in the Premier League. The win in Brighton propelled Clayton to the top of the league standings.
Van Gerwen missed four match darts, allowing Clayton to win four straight legs and seize the victory.
Clayton’s Comeback and Littler’s Struggles
Clayton, who started the night in third place, now sits three points above Luke Littler. Littler suffered a quarter-final defeat to Stephen Bunting, failing to add to his points tally.
Clayton said, “I thought the game was over at 5-2 up for Michael…He missed, he gave me a chance. You’ve got to take chances. That last leg was probably my best of the game…I’m back on top of the table, Luke Littler can start chasing me again.”
Despite the loss, Van Gerwen’s journey to the final strengthened his play-off position. He now holds a four-point advantage over Gian van Veen, who sits in fifth place.
Littler Booed After Spat
Luke Littler experienced back-to-back quarter-final exits, losing 6-4 to Bunting. Littler was booed by the crowd upon entering the stage following his recent dispute with Van Veen. His performance suffered, averaging only 83.94.
Bunting’s finishing proved costly, as he was later defeated 6-5 by Van Gerwen in the semi-finals.
Humphries Faces Play-Off Battle
Defending champion Luke Humphries suffered another defeat, putting him in a challenging position to reach the play-offs. Humphries missed a match dart in the deciding leg against Clayton, who then won 6-5 on the bull.
Humphries is currently seventh in the table, five points outside the top four, and is still searching for his first nightly win with six weeks remaining.
Other Quarter-Final Results
Gerwyn Price was defeated in the quarter-finals, losing 6-3 to Josh Rock. Rock’s quest for a first final continues after a 6-4 loss to Clayton in the semi-finals.
- Luke Humphries 5-6 Jonny Clayton
- Luke Littler 4-6 Stephen Bunting
Premier League Darts consists of 16 weeks in the league stage, featuring quarter-finals, semi-finals, and a final each night.
Each of the eight players will face the other seven in the quarter-finals in weeks one to seven and 9-15. Week eight and week 16 fixtures are done off the table.
Michael van Gerwen will face Jonny Clayton on Thursday, 16 April in Rotterdam Ahoy.