Gerwyn Price (Photo PDC)
Gerwyn Price is aiming to move top of the Premier League table as the darts returns to The Brighton Centre tonight.
Price spectacularly surged to Night Nine glory in Manchester, recording averages of 104.5, 112.9 and 105.8 over Michael van Gerwen, Stephen Bunting and Gian van Veen to blast to the nightly win.
The Welsh number two now sits in second above his World Cup teammate Jonny Clayton on legs difference, and has the chance to move to the summit of the standings for the first time this season.
The 41-year-old returns to Brighton having lost his opening match in the last two years, although he claimed the nightly win in 2023 – the same year he finished runner-up of the Premier League.
“It’s nice to be second,” reflected Price, who will face a resurgent Josh Rock in his opening tie of the evening.
“I just want to pick up two points every week.
“We probably all look at the table. It’s in every player’s head.
“I think everyone’s still in with a chance, even Josh if he wins a couple. He’s got a bit of confidence now.”
Price’s upcoming opponent Rock has won his last two quarter-final clashes – both at the expense of Clayton – after failing to win his opening seven matches.
The World Cup champion fell to his knees in relief after recording his maiden Premier League victory in Berlin, and followed it up by defying a 107.44 average from Clayton last week in Manchester to double his points tally.
Although the 24-year-old sits nine points adrift of a Play-Off position, a late run is not out of the picture, especially since Rock is playing with renewed aplomb.
“I’ve got all my confidence back after winning in Berlin,” brimmed the Northern Irishman, who averaged 102.57 in victory against Ryan Joyce at the German Darts Grand Prix last weekend.
“After getting my first win, now I have all the confidence in the world and I can push on.
“It’s a monkey off my back. I have no pressure on me now and I can enjoy the rest of my Premier League campaign.”
Clayton will be hoping to pick up his first win in four weeks as he takes on defending champion Luke Humphries in the opening fixture of the evening.
The Welsh number one had won his opening match for six straight weeks and has since surrendered a seven-point lead on the competition, slipping down to third as a result.
World number two Humphries, meanwhile, finds himself in sixth after a spotty first half of the campaign, and returns to the arena where he hit a magical nine-darter last year against Rob Cross.
Elsewhere, league leader Luke Littler locks horns with Bunting, reigniting a matchup that last saw both players average north of 105 in their quarter-final in Berlin two weeks ago.
The World Champion scooped the nightly win last year at The Brighton Centre, taking the scalps of Price, Van Gerwen and Nathan Aspinall, striking 12 180s across the evening.
Dutch number one and two Van Veen and Van Gerwen will go toe-to-toe in the final quarter-final clash of the evening, in what could prove to be a crucial battle in the race for the Play-Offs.
European Champion Van Veen sits in fifth just a point behind his Dutch counterpart in fourth, despite having made four finals across nine weeks, but is yet to taste nightly glory.
SCHEDULE
Quarter-Finals
Luke Humphries v Jonny Clayton
Gerwyn Price v Josh Rock
Luke Littler v Stephen Bunting
Michael van Gerwen v Gian van Veen
