Michael van Gerwen usually is a sure-fire bet for Premier League Darts play-offs success and usually leaves his best displays for The O2 (or subsequent finals night venues). But he went down hard to Luke Humphries in a pretty damning defeat.
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Van Gerwen managed to take a 1-2 lead early in his match with a 103 finish, but then saw the match quickly go the way of the World Champion. Humphries took six legs in a row and eventually won 10-5.
The defeat did not come as a total surprise, Van Gerwen confessed afterwards. "It's not going wrong in this match, this is something from the past few months. I'm just not constant enough, not for months," Van Gerwen said in his interview on Viaplay.
"You see I am trying everything and trying my hardest. I also prepared very well for this match, but both during the game and in recent months I have too many ups and downs. That shouldn't happen, but it happens now."
So it was not to Van Gerwen's advantage that he faced an unleashed Humphries. "It makes a difference that I'm playing against the best dart player in the world. What he has shown in the last 12 months is of an unprecedented level. I want to get to a certain level myself, but there's really no question of that right now."
Ahead of the Premier League Darts playoffs, Van Gerwen decided to switch back to the arrows he used to win the 2020 UK Open. This switch did not have the desired result. "After last week I thought I could do a bit more. But the first dart didn't go well. Then it becomes searching, forcing and irritating. Then you start making mistakes and it becomes even harder to win. This is another tap on the chin. It hurts when you lose."
Despite missing out on the Premier League title, Van Gerwen does keep a hefty sum from his Premier League title. He will receive £85,000 for reaching the semifinals, topped by £40,000 in bonuses.
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of DartsNews.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy across professional darts coverage. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces, playing a central role in the development and daily operation of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has extensive experience in darts media and has been closely involved in coverage of the professional darts circuit for several years. Within the UK darts community, he is a recognised figure known for his consistent editorial output and ongoing reporting on major tournaments and developments across the PDC calendar.
In his current role, Samuel works closely with editors and writers to ensure content meets clear journalistic standards, with a focus on source verification, editorial consistency, and timely updates when new, confirmed information becomes available.
COOL HAND INTO THE FINAL! 🥶✋
Luke Humphries hammers Michael van Gerwen 10-5 to reach the PL final on debut!
The champ is dethroned!
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