Schedule Premier League Darts Night 15: Race to play-offs hits boiling point in Aberdeen

Excitement is rising toward the boiling point in Premier League Darts, where we are down to the fifteenth round of the competition on Thursday night. This time we are visiting Aberdeen, one of the two Scottish playing cities in the lineup.

Aberdeen is known to many players as one of their favorite playing cities. Even the English like to come there, although they are often not exactly warmly received there. The Scottish fans always manage to provide a great darts party at the P&J Live.
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At the thought of Aberdeen, the thoughts of many darts fans wander to 2019, when John Henderson was allowed to compete as a contender and face Michael van Gerwen on the night in Aberdeen. With a Scottish bagpiper, Henderson was called to the stage, whereupon he held his opponent Van Gerwen to a 6-6 draw in a swirling arena and to fanatical cheers from the Scottish fans. The video of Henderson's walk-on has already been viewed more than a million times on YouTube.

The vibrant Scottish city of Aberdeen has been a fixture on the Premier League Darts calendar since 2006, when legends like Phil Taylor and Raymond van Barneveld graced the stage. That inaugural lineup also featured the likes of Colin Lloyd, Ronnie Baxter, Peter Manley, Wayne Mardle, and Roland Scholten.

Over the years, the P&J Live has witnessed historic moments. Two nine-darters have been hit in Aberdeen: the first by Van Barneveld — only the second perfect leg in Premier League history at the time — and the second by Taylor two years later. The venue is also home to the highest televised average ever recorded. In 2016, Michael van Gerwen produced a sensational 123.40 average in a 7-1 demolition of Michael Smith — a record that still stands nine years on.

Aberdeen has delivered a different weekly winner in each of the last three seasons. In 2022, Jonny Clayton claimed the Night 11 crown, defeating local hero Gary Anderson 6-2, edging out Peter Wright 6-5, and overcoming Van Gerwen 6-5 in the final.

In 2023, it was Dimitri Van den Bergh’s turn to shine. 'The Dreammaker' defeated Michael Smith 6-4, received a bye to the final due to a Van Gerwen withdrawal, and then edged Gerwyn Price 6-5 to seal the win.

Last year, Luke Littler lit up the Granite City in his Aberdeen debut. 'The Nuke' edged Nathan Aspinall 6-5, dominated Michael Smith 6-1, and closed the night with a 6-4 win over Rob Cross.

This week, it’s not just the £10,000 bonus and 15th weekly title at stake. There’s just one playoff spot left up for grabs, with three of the four finalists already confirmed. Two players remain in contention for the last ticket to London.

The evening’s opening clash is arguably the most crucial. Fourth-placed Van Gerwen faces fifth-placed Nathan Aspinall, with just a single point separating them in the standings.

'Mighty Mike' reclaimed fourth spot from Aspinall two weeks ago, and a win here would give him a massive advantage heading into the final week. A victory would mean Aspinall must win both of his matches next week — no easy task, especially with the fourth and fifth-ranked players likely facing off again.

A weekly win in Aberdeen would mathematically secure Van Gerwen's place in the final four. But Aspinall has had the upper hand in their Premier League meetings this year, winning three of their four encounters. Historically, though, Van Gerwen leads their head-to-head 20-10.

Stephen Bunting's Premier League journey comes to a close this week, but 'The Bullet' still has pride and prize money to play for. A win could improve his position and add a little extra to his earnings.

Gerwyn Price, meanwhile, clinched his playoff spot last week. While catching second-placed Luke Humphries — seven points ahead — looks unlikely, holding onto third place is key. Finishing fourth would mean a semifinal showdown with league leader and world champion Luke Littler.

Bunting and Price have split their two Premier League encounters this season, but Bunting claimed the more significant of the two, securing a weekly win in Berlin at Price’s expense. The Englishman also defeated Price in the Bahrain Darts Masters final earlier this year. However, Price still leads their overall head-to-head 13-8.

Bragging rights will be the primary motivation in this all-English clash. While not mathematically eliminated, both Chris Dobey and Rob Cross have only the slimmest of chances to reach the playoffs, especially with the fourth and fifth-ranked players set to face each other.

Cross started the campaign strongly with six semifinal appearances in the first eight weeks, but his form has dipped sharply — managing just one win in the last six nights. He and Van Gerwen are the only players yet to win a weekly title this season.

Dobey triumphed in Rotterdam during his best run between Weeks 7 and 11 but has failed to earn a single point in the last three rounds. Their Premier League meetings this year have been evenly split, and their career head-to-head is deadlocked at 9-9.

The headline act of the night pits Luke Littler against Luke Humphries — the top two in both the Premier League standings and the world rankings.

Humphries, fresh off his third weekly win of the season in Leeds, must beat Littler to keep his hopes of topping the table alive. A Littler victory would widen the gap to seven points with one week remaining.

Littler continues to set records in his remarkable debut campaign. He’s the first player ever to win five weekly titles in a single season, has already broken the 180 record, and is now chasing the all-time points record. He sits on 38 points — just two shy of the record he set himself in 2024 and previously shared by Jonny Clayton in 2022.

This will be the 21st professional meeting between Littler and Humphries. The teenager holds a narrow 11-9 edge, and in their six Premier League encounters so far, they’ve split the series evenly at 3-3.

A unique aspect of the Premier League is that a separate tournament is played each week of play, with the winner receiving an additional £10,000. This means that a player who manages to win multiple weeks of play can boost his prize money considerably. Since the league lasts for 16 weeks, an additional total of £160,000 can be distributed to the winners of these nights of play.

With performances, players also earn points toward the Premier League standings. The winner of a weekly tournament receives five points, while the losing finalist takes home three points. Semi-finalists keep two points and players who lose their opening match go home scoreless.

Quarterfinals/Semi-Finals/Finals: Best of 11 legs

Semifinals: Best of 19 legs

Final: Best of 21 legs

Thanks to Sky Sports, you don't have to miss a single darts moment. Every Thursday night starting at 7 p.m., the channel will bring you the matches live, including extensive analysis and interviews with the main players.

The broadcasts usually last until midnight, allowing you to enjoy a full evening of pure entertainment and top-level darts at the highest level.

With a total prize pool of £1,000,000, the eight contestants are competing not only for the title, but also for a substantial amount of money. All participants are guaranteed £60,000 in prize money. This eventually rises to the top prize of £275,000 for the winner.

However, players can also win a bonus each week. For every winner of a mini-tournament during the league phase, a sum of £10,000 is up for grabs.

Night 15 - Thursday, May 15.

Michael van Gerwen v Nathan Aspinall

Gerwyn Price v Stephen Bunting

Chris Dobey v Rob Cross

Luke Littler v Luke Humphries