Van Gerwen produces vintage display to edge past De Sousa in Premier League thriller
PDCWednesday, 21 April 2021 at 22:00
Michael van Gerwen has produced one of his best displays in some time to edge past Jose de Sousa and claim a 7-4 victory to continue tonight's Premier League action.
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Van Gerwen averaged 104.72 and hit seven 180's in seeing off 'The Special One' who in truth didn't do a lot wrong but succumbed to vintage Mighty Mike at times.
A sign of things to come saw both players land a 180 in the opening leg before Van Gerwen took out 125 on the bull to take the lead.
De Sousa levelled the tie from there before replying with a 79 checkout to lead 2-1 which unleashed a massive roar from a fired up Green Machine.
De Sousa came back for a 66 checkout for 2-2 but Van Gerwen gained a potentially pivotal break after De Sousa had squandered three darts at doubles and despite missing double 11 for a 142, MVG returned for a 4-2 lead.
He rose the standard to a 113 average and hit a fifth 180 and double 16 for an 11-darter and a 5-2 lead and he missed darts for a guaranteed point but cleaned up following that with a hold to make it 6-3.
De Sousa missed more darts at double for a hold this time around but returned as Van Gerwen couldn't claim the win and the former kept the match alive.
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Both players couldn't produce the trebles but Van Gerwen produced a timely 180 to leave 48 at the back end of the leg. De Sousa pressured with a 140 and after more match darts went begging, he returned but missed double seven for an 88 checkout.
MVG had three clear at double eight and only needed one this time as he surged to victory.
Samuel GillChief Content Officer
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of DartsNews.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy across professional darts coverage. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces, playing a central role in the development and daily operation of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has extensive experience in darts media and has been closely involved in coverage of the professional darts circuit for several years. Within the UK darts community, he is a recognised figure known for his consistent editorial output and ongoing reporting on major tournaments and developments across the PDC calendar.
In his current role, Samuel works closely with editors and writers to ensure content meets clear journalistic standards, with a focus on source verification, editorial consistency, and timely updates when new, confirmed information becomes available.
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