Michael van Gerwen is in uncharted territory as he heads into Night 11 of the Premier League in Rotterdam as he sits outside of the top four and without a nightly win to his name. He knows that needs to change and fast.
Since his debut appearance in 2013, Van Gerwen has only missed out on the finals once, back in 2020 when he finished sixth. Alongside that he has seven wins, two semi-final losses and two final losses.
However in recent years Van Gerwen has struggled with consistency, meaning he has gone without a ranking title to his name since the Players Championship in 2022 and is yet to pick up a nightly win in the Premier League, seeing Gerwyn Price and Nathan Aspinall leapfrog him in the standings despite being on the same number of points.
Not only that, but the three-time world champion had to pull out of Night Nine in Berlin after sustaining a freak neck injury while putting a shirt on, hampering his points tally further.
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Wayne Mardle examines Luke Littler’s TV-ranked tournament stats and how they compare to Michael van Gerwen’s numbers back in 2017
Despite such setbacks, the world No 3 maintains he still has full belief he can make it to Finals Night and still has the “fight” he needs to keep himself at the top even through tough periods.
“I’m pain-free now. It’s still a little bit stiff but it’s not [something] that affects my darts, I think,” Van Gerwen said.
“I think it’s just me having the wrong arm. I think I need to buy a new one.
“Until a few weeks ago I think I played some lovely games with some good averages. Only this didn’t really help. But it is what it is.
“You have to deal with the circumstances and I need to make sure I’m on top of things and I still have the fire in my belly. And it still does something to me.
“The anger is still there when you don’t perform 100%. I think that’s a good thing, still a lot to fight and to work for.
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Van Gerwen managed to fight back from 3-0 and 4-1 down against Luke Humphries in their quarter-final clash in Cardiff. Take a look at Mighty Mike’s finishes during his comeback victory
“It’s not the most pleasant moment in my career, if you look at that perspective. But I never give up. I’m going to fight for everything. And I know it’s still there.
“I know the challenge, you don’t lose that, you know what I mean? But of course, you need to keep hold of your own belief.
“And as long as you can do that, I think there’s still a lot possible.
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Van Gerwen’s brilliant 114 finish inspired him to an enthralling 6-5 win over Littler
“What you said the last two years – I’m not consistent enough. I won absolutely nothing. And still, if you look at the ranking, I have won after the two Lukes (Littler and Humphries) the most prize money. So from that perspective, I didn’t do too badly. But for what I’ve got in my tank, it’s underperforming, simple as that.
“I need to come up with an answer – quick, because the Premier League doesn’t wait for anyone. You have to move on.
“I still believe I can make the top four, 100 percent. But you have to perform, you have to win points and that’s the only thing you can do.”
Rotterdam to bring expectation that does not match reality
If the Dutchman can finally pick up his first nightly win of 2025, it would be even more special because he will have the crowd on his side on his home night in Rotterdam.
The expectation he will feel is not lost on the ‘Green Machine’ even though he knows his form does not warrant it.
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Rotterdam welcomed Michael van Gerwen in style in last year’s Premier League of Darts
“It’s always more expectation for me. Maybe not now, I don’t know, because it would be really weird for all the fans to expect me to win after the last few weeks,” Van Gerwen said.
“I still believe in myself, so you never know. You know how quickly it can not turn your [way], also how quickly it can turn your [way]. I need to make sure I keep grafting and keep trying to do as good as possible for myself.
“If you asked me three, four weeks ago, I would say I’m not too far. I’m a small percentage off what I’m capable of doing, but now I’ve been pushed back like five, six, seven per cent, I think.
“So I need to make sure I’m grafting harder and to make sure I get it back in my pocket to make sure I’m strong on the dartboard and I throw more freely.”
Where does the Premier League head next?
The Premier League continues in Rotterdam Ahoy on Thursday, April 17 as Luke Littler takes on Rob Cross, while Stephen Bunting faces Michael van Gerwen. Watch Night 11 of Premier League Darts, in Rotterdam, live on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports+ from 6pm – stream with NOW.
Sky Sports will once again be the home of the Premier League in 2025, with every night exclusively live along with the World Matchplay, World Grand Prix, Grand Slam of Darts and more! Stream darts and more top sport with NOW
