"It doesn't mean that he's back and he's going to dominate again" - Expectations cooled for Michael van Gerwen despite European Tour success

Michael van Gerwen finally got off the mark in 2025 this past weekend. 'Mighty Mike' claimed victory at the German Darts Grand Prix, defeating fellow Dutchman Gian van Veen 8-5 in the final. Van Gerwen survived multiple match darts in his opening match against Kim Huybrechts, but after that, he was unstoppable.

With the mighty Dutchman having been rather hit and miss for much of this season, a European Tour title win was a welcome boost. On the latest episode of Sky Sports' Love the Darts podcast, the up and down form of Van Gerwen was one of the topics of discussion.

"For me it's always just about waiting for when he's going to do it," begins PDC Women's Series star Laura Turner. "We've had these up and down conversations about his form over the last few years really. After he was so formidable in 2015, 2016, 2017, we've got those levels of expectation. I don't think anyone writes him off, but we just question when it's going to happen."

"But yeah it was fab to see and he just looked so comfortable," Turner continues, referencing the recent Euro Tour win. "He just looked so much more at home on the oche."

Although a Euro Tour title undoubtedly shows positive signs, commentator Chris Murphy insists we shouldn't expect too much of Van Gerwen off the back of it. "This is just Michael van Gerwen now. Across the season we'll see him win some titles, but he'll also lose some matches he wouldn't have lost five years ago. This is just where he is now."

"Every time he wins a title, it doesn't mean that he's back and he's going to dominate again. But every time he loses, it doesn't mean he is finished," Murphy adds.

It is worth noting, that whilst the European Tour continues in Graz, Austria this weekend, Van Gerwen himself won't be present.