"With my capability, I should be in the Premier League finals every year" - Van Gerwen critical of inconsistent form but determined to enjoy 2026 campaign

Michael van Gerwen has stated that the 2026 Premier League Darts is not at the top of his priority for this year as he looks to get back to his best form to compete with the top players in the world on a more consistent basis.

The 36-year-old has won more than half of the Premier League events he has participated in, failing to get out of the league phase on just two occasions. In his time competing in it, he has never gone three years on the bounce without lifting the trophy, putting more pressure on him to deliver in 2026.

While the spark may still not be there like years gone by, but the opportunity to play against fresh players in this format does excite the seven-time champion, described in his press conference ahead of the first nightly event in Newcastle on February 5. "Yes and no. Of course, I like to perform on the big stage week after week. I’ve seen it all — it’s nothing new for me. But now we’re playing with a few new players again, and that’s made me excited. Not making the play-offs last year also adds something."

Some lacklustre recent showings, not just on the Premier League stage, have left fans and competitors wondering about the form of the great Dutchman. Someone who has that much talent and boasts so much confidence on stage has not replicated the results of previous years.

He is ready to prove the doubters wrong after a torrid 2025 Premier League campaign. "Yes, it’s easy to say that. Last year’s Premier League was a bit of a rollercoaster, especially towards the end. I had some problems at home, and that didn’t really help me, to be fair. But this year, we’re putting our shoulders underneath it and we’re going for it again."

The overall aim is to get back on par with Luke Littler and Luke Humphries. The pair have raced away from the chasing pack, showcasing their quality on a regular basis on the oche. "You have to do it. I’m not there yet — I can’t oversee it yet," he admitted. "They’re doing really well, but it’s up to me to answer that.

There is no hurry to catch them, however. "You’re not going to do it in one month, two months, or three months. It takes more time. Like I always say, darts is not a sprint, it’s a marathon. We’ll see what happens this year."

A big part of that is consistency. His 2026 commenced with back-to-back finals in the World Series of Darts, followed by a shambolic defeat to Damon Heta in the opening match of the Winmau World Masters. "That’s been my story for the last one or two years. You need to make sure you’re consistent all the time, and that’s not always easy — but that’s the way it is."

Not everyone has shared their delight for certain darters in the Premier League lineup this year. The most notable one is Stephen Bunting, who after a dip in form in the second half of 2026 still managed to get a spot ahead of the likes of James Wade, Danny Noppert and Nathan Aspinall, among others.

Everyone will have their opinion on who is selected, but for van Gerwen he could not care due to his name also being on the list, thanks to being ranked inside the top four in the world.

"You can say anything about everyone. It’s not for me to judge, you know what I mean?" he stated. "I got picked — or I was already in anyway — and for me it doesn’t really matter who else is in. They could have picked number 126 on the ranking, you know what I mean?"

There is an argument that van Gerwen can go down as the greatest person to pick up a dart. The obvious one would be Phil Taylor to many, but apparently not Humphries who confidently stated after losing to the 19-year-old in the Masters final that he was the greatest player of all time.

Van Gerwen was not convinced. "Maybe he said that in the emotion of the moment. Of course, Luke Littler is without a shadow of a doubt a fantastic player, and definitely one of the greatest players I’ve ever seen. But to say he’s the greatest player of all time — that’s a bit… If he can continue this for another 10 or 15 years, then I’d say yes, he’s right. But first, let him do it."

'The Green Machine' stated his ambition to focus on the ranking events over the Premier League as he looks to claw back some of the deficit to the top three. "For me, ranking tournaments are more important this year than the Premier League. I always said the Premier League is the biggest tournament after the World Championship — and it still is — but personally, ranking tournaments are more important for me this year."

He is the most successful player to compete in the Premier League, putting a large part down to consistency. "Performing week after week at the highest level, in front of a lot of people. I didn’t do too well last year, and I also really don’t like the current format."

He continued to discuss about the format. "There are a few ways to do it. I prefer the old format anyway, but you could also do something with eliminations, or have the first few weeks one format and then switch back. You can deal with it in different ways, but it’s not up to me, is it?"

Van Gerwen did win the first two iterations with the knockout format, which does show that whatever the scenario he is well in with a shout of the title. "With my capability, I should be in the Premier League finals every year. Sometimes, though, you can also let yourself down — I did it once during COVID and again last year. I’m happy with what I’ve achieved here, but that’s in the past. Now you need to make sure your eyes are on this year."

Van Gerwen was again going back to his wavering consistency levels. "I don’t know yet. Sometimes I’m playing really good darts, but sometimes I can’t put my finger on it," he admitted. "Sometimes my scoring is great and I miss three, six, nine darts at doubles. Then the next game my scoring is poor, but everything goes in with one dart. You think, 'What’s happening?' You have to take that back to the practice board and make sure you keep improving."

However, he may not be finding the time to hit the practice board with his two children priority. "When I’m at home now I also have kids, so the balance is different. Before, I could practise whenever I wanted. Now I have a different schedule and I have to work around it. If I can find the right balance, I think everything will fall into place."

At the end of the day, he is here to enjoy the ride. "That’s my plan. Sometimes things happen that you don’t have control over. I’m in a totally new situation, but for me, enjoying it is the most important thing," he concluded.