The Road to the Alexandra Palace begins

While although the PDC World Darts Championship was still able to go ahead at the beginning of this year, it was a far more sedate affair and with crowds unable to cheer on their heroes, the famous venue of Alexandra Palace had a far different look and feel to it.

However, with the grip of Covid-19 now being loosened on the sporting world, the prospect of rapturous crowds returning to North London now seems to be on the agenda once again and this means the pinnacle of the Darts calendar will be returning to normal duties.

As per usual, the World Championships will take place on either side of the Christmas holidays and for those who make it to the New Year, their chances of being the best player on the planet will subsequently increase.

As although you cannot be crowned champion before Christmas, you can certainly miss out on the opportunity in which to conquer the world and for those who will consider themselves genuine challengers, the last thing they will want to do is slip up early on.

Something that certainly did not happen to Gerwyn Price and with the Welshman winning the previous edition of the PDC World Darts Championship, it would be his biggest success thus far at the highest level of the sport.

Which means even though he will be involved in December and most likely January, he will undoubtedly have a target on his back and one that 95 other players will be looking to strike.

Because as before, it will be a group of 96 of the world’s best players who descend on the capital of England and with a prize pool of £2.5m up for grabs, you can understand just why this tournament has so much appeal.

Of course, that appeal is not only generated by those who take to the oche but also those who consume their Darts in person and when these two elements combine, it makes for an incredible viewing product back home.

A product that sees the likes of Michael Van Gerwen and Peter Wright cheered on by a legion of armchair fans and for those who are not fortunate enough to get a ticket to Alexandra Palace, their support will be just as passionate within in their own homes.

While when it comes to the topic of Michael Van Gerwen, the Dutch star will be looking to take back what he feels is rightfully his and after being eliminated in last year’s quarter-final, he will be looking to finally earn a fourth world title in 2022.

An accolade that many think he will be capable of winning and when looking at the odds at Unibet USA, this particular sportsbook has the 32-year-old as the current favourite in their outright market.

A status that Van Gerwen had going into last year’s edition of the championships and after being knocked out by England’s Dave Chisnall, it was an upset victory that was certainly celebrated by those who compile the odds.

Because with so much betting activity going towards the man who enters to “Seven Nation Army” by The White Stripes, the bookmakers were anticipating a sizeable pay out to those who backed the three-time champion.

Thankfully for them, it was a landslide victory for Chisnall, as he romped to a 5-0 win in the last eight and it was this magnitude of success, which subsequently left everyone in the Darts world absolutely stunned.

To the point where critics are questioning whether Van Gerwen is still the powerhouse he once was and although there are suggestions that he is something of a fading force, at the same time you must always write him off at your own peril.

As on his day and it is fair to say that his day is rather often, the Boxtel, Netherlands born star is nothing short of ruthless and although he has a rather relaxed demeanour away from the stage, he quickly becomes robot like when in competitive action.

While if he can find the spark which has led him to glory on three separate occasions, it will mean bad news for Gerwyn Price and his fellow counterparts, as this upcoming Christmas could be one to celebrate for the Dutch at Alexandra Palace.