Michael van Gerwen plays Glen Durrant as a new batch of Premier League Darts fixtures are served up in Milton Keynes.
Unlike in other sports, the Premier League having a split is a good thing, and as we go barrelling towards Judgement Night with two players set to depart, every point is vital.
On five points apiece, Rob Cross and Gary Anderson are effectively neck-and-neck. Cross in particular will be enthused with his critic-defying start, especially considering that he has played some big names already. Both have been pretty consistent, so this tie isn't likely to be full of surprises.
Across his last three games, Jose de Sousa has averaged a shade over 104.5, popped in 19 maximums and secured a nine-darter. It's fair to say that the Portuguese is in form, and yet is in the bottom two. By contrast, James Wade is ninth for tournament average (four points behind Rob Cross in eighth) and is a point better off. The only numbers that truly count are those in the points column, and if anyone is going to eke out wins against the run of play, it's the Machine.
Jonny Clayton and Dimitri van den Bergh will almost definitely extend their debut Premier League Darts seasons. The former starts the night top, with his opponent in second. As much as they'll be pinching themselves, it could be even better for one if they can grab a win. Van den Bergh, having got a draw and a defeat in his last two games, will want to end his mini-drought early on.
Glen Durrant, the 2020 champion, meets the man whose spell of Premier League Darts dominance he interrupted. This time, there'll be no Duzza delight. Relegation can't be mathematically sealed, but the train is most certainly leaving the station. He'll get no mercy from Michael van Gerwen, that's for sure. The Dutchman will want to start racking up the points again after failing to win each of his last two.
Nathan Aspinall and Peter Wright lead the league in terms of checkout percentage and current unbeaten streaks (three games.) It all points towards a game that'll go the distance. That would mark an improvement for the Asp, who was well beaten twice by Snakebite last season. Both will be very keen to put Judgement Night firmly in the rear-view mirror and focus on the play-off push.
Schedule 2021 Premier League Darts
Night Six - Monday April 19
19:10 Rob Cross v Gary Anderson
19:50 Jose de Sousa v James Wade
20:30 Jonny Clayton v Dimitri Van den Bergh
21:10 Glen Durrant v Michael van Gerwen
21:50 Nathan Aspinall v Peter Wright