Gerwyn Price produced a world-class performance to claim the title with a 6-2 victory over Jan van Veen on the ninth night of Premier League Darts at Manchester’s AO Arena.
Price maintained his sublime form throughout the night in the final, dominating from start to finish to cap off his three-game winning streak with a 6-2 win.
It was the Welshman’s second win of the night, adding to his win on the second night in Antwerp.
The win moves him into second place in the Premier League with 19 points, ahead of Welshman Jonny Clayton, who also has 19 points. Littler remains the leader with 21 points.
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Price reels in big fish and emulates Luke Littler’s celebration in Manchester semi-final
Remarkably, Littler was the only person to beat Price in this year’s Premier League, and with the reigning world champions out of his way in Manchester, Price reigned supreme.
The final, “Iceman,” was truly a comprehensive show. After finding two massive 128 checkouts en route to a 4-0 lead, he had built such a solid lead that he was able to sustain two more throws to seal the victory.
Although Van Veen lost in the final, it was another positive stepping stone for him as he continues his comeback just two weeks after kidney stone surgery. The Dutchman is currently fifth, one point behind compatriot Michael van Gerwen, who is fourth.
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Highlights of Littler and Van Veen’s quarterfinals
“I was nervous before playing Humphries and this win calmed me down,” Price told Sky Sports.
“I played well against Bunting, but in the final Van Veen was out, which I was happy about because I always doubt myself.
“Sometimes I feel like I can’t fail. I start throwing the dart the right way, it lands on the top of the T20, and I start reeling in the ‘big fish.’
“We just want to get two points every week and getting a win every night is a bonus. I think everyone still has a chance for a top-four spot.”
Van Veen and Littler clash – ‘He wasn’t a good loser’
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Littler and Van Veen heat up in final quarterfinal match
The flashpoint of the night occurred in the third quarterfinal game between Van Veen and Luke Littler.
Van Veen started the night with a 6-5 victory over his usual opponent in the final leg. Drama unfolded in the final leg between the two rivals.
The match reached its climax when the Dutchman expressed his disappointment at missing the inside on D15 and turned to the crowd to see his opponent seemingly celebrating the mistake, with ‘The Nuke’ reacting angrily.
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Wayne Mardle takes a closer look at what led to the fiery ending to Littler’s quarterfinal match against Van Veen
The mistake allowed Littler a match dart on D7, but when Van Veen went up to seal the victory on D6, he turned back to himself before making a tearful gesture.
The world No. 1 fought back from 4-1 to 5-5, but his temper flared and he was never able to make a complete comeback.
After the match, Van Veen called Littler’s reaction “insane” and said he was “not a good loser.”
Van Veen then defeated Josh Locke 6-3 to reach his first final since night four in Belfast.
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Van Veen explains heated ending with Littler
Price’s route to the finals: 6 wins and 2 losses until the end!
Price secured a spot in the final with a stunning 6-2 victory over Stephen Bunting. His average score was an outrageous 112.91 points, which seemed inferior to “The Bullet”‘s 107 points.
The highlight came in the third leg when he reeled in a “big fish” to spark a celebration. He then rattled off four legs in succession in a sensational finish, his dart landing with great precision on the outer ring.
In a city he always enjoys, Price started the night with a 6-2 overall victory over Luke Humphries.
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Price moves into a two-leg lead over Luke Humphries with 167 and 135 checkouts
Price was in the zone, starting with a 167 finish on the bull, followed by a 135 checkout at the top, and it showed as he was limited to just two holds to throw Humphries with his foot on the gas.
In other matches, Lock brought double joy with back-to-back wins over the Welshman in the quarter-finals against Johnny Clayton.
Momentum remained constant throughout the match, but the Northern Irishman took a 5-4 lead and, after seven weeks without scoring, found a big break in the throw on D4 and regained even more momentum.
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Stephen Bunting hits 161 in quarter-final match against Michael van Gerwen
Meanwhile, Bunting started the night with an emphatic 6-3 win over Michael van Gerwen, with a highlight second leg finishing 161 on the bullseye to open up a 5-0 lead.
The Dutchman managed to fight back with a three-legged spin, but in the end Bunting defeated D16 to reach the semi-finals for the third time in the Premier League.
Who will win this year’s Premier League Darts? Luke Humphries is defending his title and you can watch the match every Thursday until May on Sky Sports. Stream darts and other top sports now.
