The world champion and the world number one will feature on Saturday evening at the Masters. Sorry, Michael van Gerwen and Peter Wright; Gerwyn Price is both of them.
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It's a new era in darts; you'd have to hark back to 2014 for the last time Van Gerwen wasn't in top spot, in the halcyon days where Adrian Lewis was the UK Open champion. That was the last time Jackpot won a major title, so if anyone could do with harking back to the old times, it's him.
As Price ascended to the world champions' guild, it was Gary Anderson who was left to ruefully ponder on what could've been. The two-time world champion seems to have a renewed vigour for the game, even promising to practice more, so it's hard to imagine that his last chance of a third world title has been and gone. These two have met in all sorts of different scenarios, including two world finals, though this will hopefully be their final lockdown duel.
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Peter Wright didn't get to enjoy his year at world champion in front of crowds, bar the odd appearance. One tournament attended by the public in 2020 was the Masters, which Snakebite won. A defence would be a nice way to get the world number three back on the road to a possible second world title.
For now, all Wright has to think about is negotiating a tricky tie against Simon Whitlock. The Wizard's back in form and feeling good, exemplified by a 6-2 rout of Krzysztof Ratajski on Friday night. Can Whitlock muscle in on the Premier League candidacy? It's not fully out of the question - the entertainment value has never been in doubt. After ending a run of six straight Masters defeats, beating Wright here would mark the first time Whitlock has won multiple matches at one Masters event.
The world champion is back in business. Gerwyn Price has hit the zenith of any dart player's career, but it's just the start of a bigger challenge, which is staying there. Just ask Rob Cross and Adrian Lewis - becoming world champion doesn't necessarily bring sunshine and rainbows. Even if this doesn't go well, Price is unlikely to be deterred. That being said, a first Masters title will be another quiver in the Iceman's bow.
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It's great to see Joe Cullen in full flow. Stephen Bunting won't have appreciated it too much while falling to a 6-4 defeat on Friday, but generally it's a real positive to see the Rockstar playing with confidence, even after the body blow of that last-gasp World Championship defeat to Michael van Gerwen. There's nothing to lose here for Cullen really, with others further ahead in the Premier League race, but beating the champ would turn a lot of heads in his direction.
While Price aims to stay in top spot, Michael van Gerwen is leading the charge to usurp the new world champion. Another equipment change might lead to an adjustment period, and there's been the suggestion that Mighty Mike doesn't strike fear into the hearts of his opponents any more, so 2021 will be a brand new challenge for the Dutchman. He's got the quality and mentality to reclaim his throne, but all of a sudden it doesn't feel like Van Gerwen holds all the cards.
The warning shot across Van Gerwen's bows came a year back, when a run of five straight Masters titles were ended in style by Jonny Clayton. Now, we've come full circle, and he meets the newly minted World Cup winner again, this time with the aim of taking the title back from Peter Wright. If this were some sort of Rocky-esque movie, a humbled MVG would rally and storm back to the top. Darts has had some storybook moments, but it's definitely not that easy.
2021 Masters Schedule
Saturday January 30 (1900 GMT)
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Second Round
19:10 Gary Anderson v Adrian Lewis
20:10 Peter Wright v Simon Whitlock
21:10 Gerwyn Price v Joe Cullen
22:10 Michael van Gerwen v Jonny Clayton
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- And why should he listen to you?Deduce635807-11-2026
- Ultimately it is a bye for whoever draws Barney. It will be another stroppy and sulky performance once he goes behind. Barney was excellent but really must completely call it a day now.richieburnettrocks07-11-2026
- I'm disappointed he was not able to secure a spot at the Grand Slam. With Carl Sneyd taking care of Daryl Gurney, he would have had to beat Andy Boulton before facing the winner of Sneyd vs Mensur Suljović for a Grand Slam spot. Unfortunately, after beating Filip Bereza comfortably, he succumbed to Boulton, and the board would ultimately be won by the highly inconsistent Carl Sneyd. Since he could instead have been drawn against the likes of Cristo Reyes, Dirk van Duijvenbode and Stephen Bunting, I think once Gurney was out of the picture he would have been favourite to win his board, and it seems like a massive missed opportunity to put 5 grand on his ranking and seal another major TV appearance ahead of the Worlds. The highs and lows of following Raymond van Barneveld!Deduce635806-11-2026
- Probably i will receive a lot of backlash and hate for this reaction, but well, so be it. I am more than sick and tired of those lies of you Barry Hearn. How dare you defend yourself over the back of Fallon’s son! He has a disability and not an illness, so let me correct that for you! I know because I have the exact same disability. I have tried to reach out to Fallon in the past, and offered her to help her and her son, because I was struggling with the same problems, and I understood the boy. I wanted him to have finally someone who understood him. However she told me that she did not want my help, and I have respected Fallon’s choice. I have never asked Fallon for money. They don’t need money in that case. I only ever wanted the best for Fallon and Rory, but I have to be honest about the situation. Fallon should tell the true story and not be forced to tell lies. I don’t hate Fallon, and I don’t begrudge or envy a single penny that she gets, but this situation/case is just not fair. I hate the lies and the dishonesty and injustice. I don’t want Fallon to be hated because there is an unfair disadvantage created. Don’t proclaim your false lies over the back of Rory! I only stand for integrity and justice. I am precisely the one who always sticks up for Fallon. And you don't, you don't give a damn about them. You were never there for them, and now you only want to save your own position! You are just trying to talk your way out of your own bad behavior at the expense of someone with a disability. And to Fallon, I don’t know if this may ever reach you, and you read it, but I want you to know I love you and I love your son Rory very much, I am sorry how things developed and went. I hope you and Harriet are still friends. I am sorry if I were too persistent to you, or you experienced it that way, but it was never my intention. Please understand I have autism as well. As Barry Hearn would say, I am only just a human being too, and I also make mistakes and misjudge things sometimes. I promise you I did everything out of the deepest love and care for you and Rory. If I were you, I should just keep all the money, only please never be dishonest or tell lies anymore for Barry Hearn, or anyone else. I hope you have the best life, and I wish nothing more than the best for you. I have always loved the two of you. Farewell.Hiddo05-11-2026
- She is a professional. If darts is her income, she is a professional. Same as Adrian Lewis, Martin Adams. A tour card just means someone can play on the PDC tour. You could even make a case that Clayton wasn't a professional (until recently I believe) because he had employment elsewhere.BandB04-11-2026
- She's technically not a professional though as she doesn't hold a pro tour card.mr-pablo04-11-2026
- Such a shame that lakeside has been reduced to this. Fantastic venue,and previously a great tournament. Not any morerick6703-11-2026
- Seems to me that the top 16 players pick and choose whatever they want to play. Good,all the money will get spread out more. They get more money from exhibitions than tournaments so let them all withdrawrick6703-11-2026
- Play all legs and the winners split the pot. Luke gets the lot of he wins them all. If your occupation is darts player you can't enter, regardless of ability.BandB01-11-2026
- I'm quite a jaded person all things considered, but to be honest I found Beat Luke Littler to be pretty entertaining. It certainly wasn't seamless, which is to be expected given the lack of precedence, but I actually think the pacing was pretty good, the production was impressive, and there was a good sense of humour and levity to it. I think it was a very ambitious undertaking but one that, for the most part, paid off. I liked the system with the four pots and I think it added to the drama and intrigue. I enjoyed seeing the diverse range of entrants and learning about their backstories. I think the interactivity was pretty clever and well-integrated. The panel was a little incoherent at times; Lee Mack shone however, and his improvisational skills were appreciated during some more awkward interstitial moments. As far as the darts is concerned, it was a shame that the format didn't allow Littler to get into full flow. You obviously don't want him to steamroll everyone but you want to feel like you're getting the full Littler package rather than seeing him struggling to get out of first gear. I will say that his leg against Jayden Walker was very impressive, but it was mostly downhill from there. The attraction revolves around Littler being this untouchable, indomitable force, yet the format doesn't really allow him to fulfil that characterisation. As for Fallon Sherrock, she was mightily impressive and deserved the victory. It is a testament to her unshakeable character that she was able to bang in a 14-darter under such mind-bending pressure. Everything that has been said about the misleading marketing is valid, though they were clear about their eligibility criteria and were able to offload the responsibility somewhat by bringing the viewers into the decision-making process in real time. What is clear though, is that Fallon played the game according to the rules, and she should not be criticised for that, much less abused. I will admit though that it is a kick in the teeth for those true amateurs who committed time and money to the course, and I would also question those who think pub players would have no chance, given that some of Littler's winning legs were dispatched in 7 visits to the board! The great thing about darts is that it isn't so much that amateurs cannot replicate the feats of brilliance pulled off by professionals of the sport, than it is that they simply cannot replicate the consistency of their output, something that this format almost entirely removes from the equation. It should also be noted that, financially, Fallon certainly stands to benefit much less in relative terms from the paycheque than would your average pub thrower, as I'm sure she nets a fair income from the lucrative exhibition circuit alone. What I do hope is that she might use this as an opportunity to really build up a head of steam heading into the new season, as it seems long overdue that she come through Q-School and really take it to the pros on a week-in week-out basis, but whatever she chooses to do, she has certainly achieved enough already for one if not several lifetimes, so who am I to dictate terms? To conclude though, I will state once again that I found Beat Luke Littler to be a pretty enjoyable evening of entertainment. I do feel for the contestants who never actually had the chance to try their luck against the world #1, although I suppose it comes with the format, but all which inevitably raises the question: will Netflix be tempted to do it all again next year? It's hard to say. Whether it would be financially viable, I can't weigh in there. One point I have been making though, and which I touched on earlier, is that the entire concept relies on a public perception that Littler is more or less unbeatable, and that certainly hasn't been the case of late. If the execs had been trying to pitch the show in recent months while Littler has seemed vulnerable, rather than when he was mopping up almost every major title on the calendar, it would certainly be a tougher sell. We will have to see in about 6 months' time whether Littler can still reliably command perception as a near-unstoppable force in darts, and then we'll have a clearer idea about whether we should expect a second helping. Even as a one-off experiment though, and with all the controversy taken into account, I still don't think they disgraced themselves by any means, and that will probably be my lingering assessment of the event when all is said and done.Deduce635801-11-2026