Gerwyn Price storms to successive Premier League weekly titles with Newcastle triumph
Gerwyn Price secured a third Premier League weekly title of the campaign courtesy of a 6-1 rout of Michael van Gerwen on Night Eight in Newcastle.
Price travelled to Tyneside having claimed victory in Nottingham last Thursday, and he continued his blistering form to cut Van Gerwen’s lead at the top of the table to seven points.
The Welshman registered a blistering 115 average – the highest of this year’s competition – to clinch his third £10,000 bonus of the campaign, having also claimed the spoils on Night Two in Cardiff.
Price came through an all-Welsh affair in his Night Eight opener against Jonny Clayton, punishing a below-par display from his World Cup partner to cruise to a 6-1 success.
The 38-year-old then ended the hopes of hometown hero Chris Dobey in the Semi-Finals, defying a late rally from the Bedlington thrower to triumph in a repeat of Nottingham’s Night Seven decider.
Price then upped the ante with an extraordinary display in the final to deny Van Gerwen a fourth weekly victory in the space of five attempts.
The 2021 World Champion capitalised on early errors from Van Gerwen to establish a 2-0 cushion, before reeling off three straight legs in 12, 13 and ten darts to move to the brink of victory.
Van Gerwen suffered the first whitewash defeat of his Premier League career against Dobey last week, and Price looked poised to repeat the feat, only to wire a match dart at tops in leg six.
The three-time World Champion pinned double ten to open his account, although Price responded magnificently, landing his second ten-darter of the tie to wrap up proceedings in style – achieving the Premier League’s highest match average since 2017 in the process.
“I’ve played really well over the last few weeks,” reflected Price, who is now eight points clear of fifth-placed Dobey.
“It’s nice when you can play like that, particularly against Michael, because you need those type of performances to win.
“I’m grateful it happened in the final. I slipped up once and Michael won the leg. I just wish I won 6-0!
“I’m in a good position, but every night is worth five points, so with this format, it’s not over yet.
“Every time you’re winning you are enjoying it. You get momentum, you get confidence and hopefully it continues, but there’s a long way to go yet.”
Van Gerwen was unable to extend his lead at the top of the table, but wins over Peter Wright and Nathan Aspinall saw him seal a spot in his fifth final of the campaign.
The 33-year-old converted a spectacular 150 checkout to edge out Wright in Thursday’s opening Quarter-Final, before posting a ton-plus average in a whitewash win over Aspinall.
The evening’s other Quarter-Finals saw Dobey produce a terrific comeback to defeat world number one Michael Smith, much to the delight of the partisan home crowd at the Utilita Arena.
Dobey received an incredible reception as he made his entrance to Newcastle United anthem “Local Hero”, before raising the roof with a spectacular 137 checkout on two double tops in the opening leg.
Smith recovered to lead 3-1, but Dobey wasn’t to be denied on home soil, winning five of the last six legs to record a 6-4 success over the World Champion for the second consecutive week.
Meanwhile, Aspinall ended his darting hoodoo against Dimitri Van den Bergh, averaging 101 and landing seven 180s to prevail in a dramatic last-leg decider.
Van den Bergh missed a match dart at the bull in the closing stages and Aspinall capitalised to cement his position in the top four and register his first victory over the Belgian in 11 meetings.
The Premier League roadshow continues on Thursday March 30 with Night Nine at the Mercedes-Benz Arena in Berlin.
Premier League Darts 2023 Night Eight Results
Thursday March 23
Quarter-Finals
Michael van Gerwen 6-5 Peter Wright
Nathan Aspinall 6-5 Dimitri van den Bergh
Gerwyn Price 6-1 Jonny Clayton
Michael Smith 4-6 Chris Dobey
Semi-Finals
Michael van Gerwen 6-0 Nathan Aspinall
Gerwyn Price 6-4 Chris Dobey
Final
Gerwyn Price 6-1 Michael van Gerwen
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