Premier League Enters The Toon

The 2024 Premier League returns once more, with Night 4 coming from the Utilita Arena in Newcastle and defending champion Michael van Gerwen leading proceedings once again.

The World Number 2 has claimed the £10,000 weekly winner’s bonus for the last two weeks in Berlin and Glasgow, and he leads Michael Smith by 3 points in the overall table.

Van Gerwen has adapted to the new format well since it was introduced at the start of 2022, winning the last two staging of the Premier League at the Mercedes Benz Arena and the O2 Arena to become a record breaking 7 Time Champion.

The Dutchman recently featured in his first Pro Tours of 2024, reaching the Semi Finals in Players Championship 3 where he lost out to eventual winner Ryan Searle 7-4 despite throwing a higher average.

Michael faces a difficult proposition in Gerwyn Price in the last Quarter Final in Newcastle, with both players coming into Night 4 in top form on the oche.

The Iceman dealt Luke Littler his first defeat at the Quarter Final stage last week in Glasgow after clinching a last leg decider at the OVO Hydro Arena, hitting 6 180s against the recent World Championship Finalist.

The Welsh international sits just outside the Play Off places on legs difference from World Champion Luke Humphries, having reached the Final on Night 1 in Cardiff and the Semi Finals last week on Night 3.

World Champion Humphries will have been relieved to see things return to normal in Scotland, as he moved into the Play Off places after hitting 3 100+ averages at the OVO Hydro Arena.

Cool Hand Luke missed out in a last leg decider against Michael van Gerwen in last week’s Final, despite averaging 7 points higher than the Dutchman over the entertaining 11 leg finale.

The Red Dragon player did find his best average of his debut campaign so far, scoring 105.53 in a 6-3 win over Nathan Aspinall realing off 5 consecutive legs in reaching the Semi Finals.

Humphries will be well rested, for his encounter former Premier League finalist Rob Cross in the Quarter Finals in Newcastle, as the Newbury thrower didn’t feature in the Pro Tour Events in Leicester earlier this week.

Peter Wright will look to build on his last three performances on the Pro Tour, as he searches his first points of the 2024 Premier League at the Utilita Arena.

Snakebite has reached 2 Semi Finals and a Quarter Final in the last 3 Players Championship Events, with 2 of his defeats coming against top performances from World Cup partner Gary Anderson in Wigan and Leicester.

The Scotsman takes on World Youth Champion Luke Littler in the Quarter Finals on Night 4, as both players look to bounce back following early defeats in Glasgow last week.

2nd placed Michael Smith and World Matchplay Champion Nathan Aspinall open the action in Newcastle, and a win for the Bully Boy will put him a point behind leader Michael van Gerwen in the table.

The action starts from 7pm from the Utilita Arena as the 2024 Premier League enters England for the first-time following nights in Wales, Germany, and Scotland.