Gerwyn Price emerged victorious on Night 9 of the Premier League Darts in Manchester, clinching his second nightly win of the season.
Price beat Gian van Veen 6-2 in the final at the AO Arena on Thursday evening.
‘The Iceman’ in dominant form
Price was the standout player throughout the night. He picked up dominant wins against Luke Humphries, Stephen Bunting and then Van Veen in the final.
‘The Iceman’ dropped just six legs across the whole evening – averaging 104.46, 112.91 and then 105.84.
Price made a strong start in the final with a 128 checkout to break Van Veen’s throw and take the first leg. The 2023 finalist went on to win the next two as well, eventually finding himself 5-1 ahead. Van Veen clawed back one more leg before falling to his opponent’s excellent display.
The victory sends Price up to second in the Premier League table.
“He (Van Veen) wasn’t really on his game in that final, which I was happy with,” Price told Sky Sports. “I just want to pick up two points every week, to get a win is a bonus. We don’t talk about it (the table), but it’s definitely in every player’s head, anybody can qualify for the top four, I think.”
Van Gerwen Suffers Early Exit
The night got off to a fast start with Bunting racing into a 5-0 lead against Michael van Gerwen. The Dutchman pulled it back to 5-3, only for Bunting to hit back and book his spot in the semi-finals.
Van Gerwen endured a disappointing evening after missing eight checkouts throughout the opening encounter.
Another surprise followed with Price eliminating reigning champion Humphries. ‘The Iceman’ cruised to a 6-2 victory to extend his opponent’s difficult run in the 2026 Premier League, with Humphries exiting in the opening round for the fourth time this year.
Littler and Van Veen Clash
A rematch of the World Championship final saw Luke Littler taking on Van Veen. Van Veen came out on top with a 6-5 win after a dramatic final leg saw both players miss match darts.
Littler failed to hit double seven and the Dutchman missed double 15.
There was controversy towards the end of the clash, with both players gesturing at each other and Littler riling up the crowd between Van Veen’s throws.
- “I’m on 90, I miss double 15 on the inside, and then I see him celebrating towards the crowd. I don’t think that’s normal,” Van Veen said after.
- “And then he also makes that crying gesture.”
- “He’s a fantastic darts player, but today he showed he’s not a good loser. Celebrating a miss from your opponent, that really annoys me.”
- “That’s why I gave him a look. The fact he then misses three darts at a double, that’s his problem.”
Manchester’s quarter-finals were rounded out with Josh Rock securing a 6-4 win over Jonny Clayton. Price continued his strong form in the semi-finals with a comprehensive 6-2 triumph over Bunting after nailing a 112 checkout in the final leg.
With seven nights remaining, Price sits second in the Premier League table.