It’s showtime in Milton Keynes as the 2021 Premier League campaign reaches its climax with the final four rounds of group-stage action as a prelude to Friday’s play-offs and fans will be there to see it all unfold.
Hundreds will pack into the Marshall Arena to cheer on their favourite stars over the course of the week and see if Van Gerwen can lift the trophy for a sixth time.
The Dutchman, the 8/5 favourite, heads the table on 17 points, seeking to make up for last year when he failed to even make the semi-finals – with the Green Machine currently two points clear of Nathan Aspinall and Dimitri van den Bergh.
Asp to Strike Back in Battle of Top Two
The first night back promises to be an absolute belter with the top two – Van Gerwen and Aspinall – playing each other.
Van Gerwen is on a three-match winning streak and knows that if he can get to 19 points he can almost freewheel his way into the semis, but he also knows that The Asp is in great shape and that all three of their previous Premier League matches have gone the distance.
It’s 10/17 that it goes over 12.5 legs this time though Aspinall, last year’s runner-up, does look a bit of value at 39/20.
Not only are the top two in action, but the players in third and fourth spots – Van den Bergh and Jose de Sousa – are also taking on each other.
They can hardly be separated in the table and barely separated in the betting either with the Belgian a 5/4 chance and De Sousa at 13/10.
Clayton’s Purple Patch Set to Continue
Any slip-ups from the top four on Monday evening will open the door for the next two in the table, Jonny Clayton and Gary Anderson, and it just so happens that they are in opposition as well.
Clayton won 7-4 and won well when the two men met in the first half of the competition as the Welshman continues his sensational form in 2021.
Already the winner of the Masters and a couple of floor titles, he boasts a tournament average of 100.17 – that’s the best in the field – and looks the bet at 21/20 against Anderson.
Wade and Wright Seek Focus
The final match on Monday is a must-win affair for both James Wade and Peter Wright, who had a shocker in the previous tranche of league games, when he lost all three matches and averaged less than 90.
Snakebite’s mind was elsewhere, while Wade himself admits he’s been struggling with his own issues of late and both men agree they are delighted that a crowd will be back to cheer their every dart.
This promises to be a tight affair and you wouldn’t rule out the draw at 19/5.
Events over the first three nights of the week will determine the running order for Thursday night’s final round of league action, but there’s already a sense that the last-night matches between Aspinall and De Sousa and Clayton and Van den Bergh are going to prove absolutely critical.
*All odds correct at time of writing