There's so much to play for in the Premier League Darts, and so little time.
Only one player is guaranteed a
Premier League Darts play-off spot going into Night 15, and only one is mathematically ruled out. It's also impossible for all four places to be set in stone going into the final day. This is going to be tense.
Nathan Aspinall finds himself right in the midst of that tension. The debutant has a tenuous grasp on fourth place right now, with 15 points. He's level on points with
Michael van Gerwen, is one behind
Peter Wright and one ahead of
Gerwyn Price. His last two games are against the league's bottom and top players respectively. So he has two aims here; one, beat
Daryl Gurney; and two, bolster that leg difference. The former goal isn't as easy as it looks on paper - despite still throwing a few too many slack darts to be happy, Superchin's played quite well in his last couple of games.
It's all rosy for
Glen Durrant, who simply refuses to lose. That's of course in part due to his opponents' profligacy, but also down to Durrant himself. So much can be learned from recent draws against
Gary Anderson,
Michael Smith and Michael van Gerwen. The lesson for
Peter Wright is kill, or be killed. Ruthlessness evaded Snakebite for a while, but he has blasted past Van Gerwen and
Nathan Aspinall to establish himself at the front of the play-off peloton. If anyone's beating Duzza at this moment in time, it's Wright. Even then, you wouldn't stick your house on it.
Big moment for MvG
Normally,
Gary Anderson and
Michael Smith put on a real show. Smith didn't get the memo on Thursday night, but Anderson did his part with a 102 average and a blistering six legs on the spin. Now he's just one point off confirming his play-off place, and in with an outside shot of being the third person ever to top the Premier League Darts group stage. How Michael van Gerwen wishes he had that security. Another dropped point against Durrant - from a position where it felt like vintage MvG wins at a canter - hasn't inspired much confidence. There'll be a real disparity in emotion on the Milton Keynes stage. Anderson is, as ever, cool as a cucumber, while van Gerwen needs to control the nerves that'll most certainly be a factor.
Thursday night proved to be a real hammer blow to the hopes of both
Gerwyn Price and Michael Smith. There are no prizes for working out what cost Price in a draw against
Daryl Gurney; way too many chances at a finish went begging, with even his trusted tops and tens letting the Welshman down. Smith looked good to press Gary Anderson at 2-2, and then fell apart. Now Smith needs a miracle. Price, in comparison, needs Gurney to do him some favours. A draw would surely end both players' Premier League Darts interests.
Click here for more information on the 2020 Premier League Darts, including the fixtures and prize money breakdown.
Schedule Premier League Darts
Friday September 4
Milton Keynes – Marshall Arena
19:10 Daryl Gurney v Nathan Aspinall
19:55
Glen Durrant v Peter Wright
20:40 Gary Anderson v Michael van Gerwen
21:25 Michael Smith v Gerwyn Price