Who will win the 2021 Premier League Darts?
Last year, the dominance of Michael van Gerwen finally came to an end as his run of four successive Premier League titles was broken. The relatively unfancied duo of Glen Durrant and Nathan Aspinall contested the final, with the former holding his nerve to win 11-8 on his tournament debut.
Premier League Darts Odds | Who Can Win This Year’s Title?
Here we evaluate the chances of this year’s 10 competitors…
Gary Anderson
Tournament record:
Previous Appearances: 9
Best Performance: Winner in 2011 & 2015
Last Year: Losing semi-finalist
PDC Order of Merit ranking: 6th
Current Odds: 43/4 (11.75)
‘The Flying Scotsman’ has more appearances in this event than any of his rivals and will be trying to make the play-offs for the seventh successive time (he missed the event in 2019). Though not winning a major since 2018, and with various back and knee injuries in recent times, Anderson has shown glimpses of returning to his best form.
He made the final of the PDC World Championship in January, only to lose 7-3 to Gerwyn Price, but results since then have been inconsistent.
Given the format this year with successive match days, the Scot may find without ‘recovery time’ any fitness issues will be magnified and will find a third title here a big ask.
Nathan Aspinall
Tournament record:
Previous Appearances: 1
Best Performance: Runner-up (2020)
Last Year: Losing finalist
PDC Order of Merit ranking: 10th
Current Odds: 20/1 (21.00)
Since winning his first major in 2019, ‘The Asp’ has risen quickly in the standings and is now one of the most exciting players to watch and, when on his game, is capable of beating anyone.
His full Premier League debut last year ended up in a third-place league finish and a semi-final victory over Peter Wright, before losing in the final to fellow debutant Glen Durrant.
Recent form however has not been so good, with a quarter-final exit at The Masters followed by a defeat in his opening UK Open match. He needs to find some form soon to make an impression here.
Jonny Clayton
Tournament record:
Previous Appearances: 0
Best Performance: Debut
Last Year: N/A
PDC Order of Merit ranking: 17th
Current Odds: 11/1 (12.00)
Clayton earned the 10th and final place in this year’s event when winning the Masters in January. His good form has continued since then, winning the Players Championship 7 event in mid-March.
At 46 years of age, it has been a slow rise up the standings for the Welshman, and it will be interesting to see if his good recent form can continue in this high-profile event. Reaching the play-offs would be a good achievement.
Rob Cross
Tournament record:
Previous Appearances: 3
Best Performance: Runner-up (2019)
Last Year: 9th (eliminated)
PDC Order of Merit ranking: 5th
Current Odds: 33/1 (34.00)
Following his win in the 2018 World Championship, the previously unheralded Cross seemed to have the darting world at his feet. Despite the pressure of carrying the world title, his form remained decent in 2019.
However, the former electrician lost his spark in 2020 and has struggled to find any consistent form of late. There is a reason he is priced as the rank outsider, and after his elimination on Judgement Night last year it is hard to see this year’s edition proving any more successful.
José de Sousa
Tournament record:
Previous Appearances: 0
Best Performance: Debut
Last Year: N/A
PDC Order of Merit ranking: 15th
Current Odds: 31/2 (16.50)
In the space of two short years, the Portuguese has gone from fitting kitchens to mixing it with the best on the darting stage.
After winning a tour card for the first time in 2019, he found his feet last year when winning his first major in November, the Grand Slam of Darts.
He shares his nickname of ‘The Special One’ with a rather more well-known fellow countryman, and also enjoys being somewhat unorthodox in his gameplay.
This is the biggest test he will face yet in his darts career, and he will be happy to be challenging for a play-off spot.
Glen Durrant
Tournament record:
Previous Appearances: 1
Best Performance: Winner (2020)
Last Year: Won
PDC Order of Merit ranking: 13th
Current Odds: 25/1 (26.00)
Durrant had a Premier League debut to remember; winning the league stage and then following that up by claiming victory in the final, becoming only the third player to win both the league stage and the final in the same tournament. That’s a feat only equalled by Phil Taylor and Michael van Gerwen.
However, a few weeks after that victory ‘Duzza’ tested positive for Covid-19. After his recovery, he said he had faced a ‘horrible battle’ with the illness.
The Englishman has struggled to regain his form since and it is hard to see him repeating his success from last season.
Gerwyn Price
Tournament record:
Previous Appearances: 3
Best Performance: 5th (2019 & 2020)
Last Year: 5th
PDC Order of Merit ranking: 1st
Current Odds: 5/2 (3.50)
The ‘Iceman’ is currently World Champion and World Number 1, so expectations will be raised this year in a tournament in which he has previously struggled to make an impression. His debut in 2018 left him bottom of the table without a win to his name, and the following two years have seen him end up in fifth. The play-offs will be the minimum expectation for the Welshman; a competitor fans either love or hate.
With the ex-rugby player celebrating every 180 or double with clenched fists and a loud roar, even without a crowd to bounce off, his opponents can often get easily riled.
However, by winning more tournaments than any other player in 2020, Price is now letting his darts do the talking and it would be a major surprise to see him not competing for the title at the business end of the competition.
Dmitri Van den Bergh
Tournament record:
Previous Appearances: 0
Best Performance: Debut
Last Year: N/A
PDC Order of Merit ranking: 9th
Current Odds: 49/4 (13.25)
The third debutant in this year’s event, the Belgian comes into the tournament as the current World Matchplay champion.
‘The Dream Maker’ is full of confidence on the world stage, both with his pre-match dancing and then on the oche when the real action begins. You would expect he may feel the lack of audience participation more that some as he feeds off the energy of the crowd.
However, the 26-year-old should still be a force here, and with a debutant winning last year there is no reason he can’t emulate that feat.
Michael van Gerwen
Tournament record:
Previous Appearances: 8
Best Performance: Winner (2013,2016,2017,2018,2019)
Last Year: 6th
PDC Order of Merit ranking: 3rd
Current Odds: 58/25 (3.32)
Having topped the table in his first seven appearances in the Premier League, winning the title five times, last year the unthinkable happened with the Dutchman finishing sixth and having to sit out the play-off stage.
Generally last year was not as successful for the ‘Green Machine’, though that is only in comparison to the preceding years of dominance. However, it would be foolish to write van Gerwen off as being ‘past his best’ with several signs of a return to form over recent months.
He needs one more title to equal Phil Taylor’s six Premier League wins, and the determined Dutchman will be keen to prove last year’s early exit was a one-off.
Peter Wright
Tournament record:
Previous Appearances: 7
Best Performance: Runner-up (2017)
Last Year: Losing semi-finalist
PDC Order of Merit ranking: 2nd
Current Odds: 97/20 (5.85)
The Premier League has not been a friend for the Mohawk-haired Scot, with only two play-off appearances to show for his seven appearances to date, and the title eluding him.
The closest he came to winning was in 2017 when he succumbed to van Gerwen 11-10 in the final, eventually losing the last-leg decider after missing six match darts.
He followed his 2020 World Championship victory with two other titles last year, but does throw in the odd poor performance when his interest in the game seems to wane.
However, victory in the last Players Championship event ten days ago, beating Gerwyn Price 8-3 in the final, will put Wright in confident mood as he hopes to break his Premier League hoodoo.
Premier League Darts Betting
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Premier League Darts FAQ
When does the Premier League Darts start?
Night 1 takes place on Monday 5th April, with the concluding play-offs night on Friday, 28th May.
Where is the Premier League Darts being held?
Unlike previous years, where events were held weekly in different venues, this year’s competition will be held entirely at the Marshall Arena in Milton Keynes.
How has the format changed this year?
There will still be 10 players taking part, but this year will not feature the ‘Challengers’ who took part each week over the last two years.
The match days will not be weekly, instead running over grouped periods of days.
When are the match days?
Nights 1 to 5 run from 5th – 9th April
Nights 6 to 9 (Judgement Night) run from 19th – 22nd April
Nights 10 to 12 run from 5th – 7th May
Nights 13 – 16 run from 24th – 27th May
Play-Offs Night is the 28th May
Will there be a live audience?
The first nine nights will be behind closed doors. A decision on whether crowds will be permitted for the subsequent dates will be made later.
Where can I watch Premier League Darts?
Each night will be broadcast live on Sky TV.
What is the format?
The 10 players each play each other once in a league format. At the end of these matches, Judgement Night, the bottom two players in the table are eliminated.
The remaining eight players then play each other, with points being added to those won in the first section.
The top four players in the final table proceed to the play-offs night. This includes the semi-finals, with 1st playing 4th and 2nd playing 3rd, followed directly by the final.
How many legs are the matches?
The initial matches, when all 10 players are taking part, are a maximum of 12 legs, decided by the first player to reach seven. These can finish with points shared in a 6-6 draw.
The second phase of matches, when eight players remain, are a maximum of 14 legs, decided by the first player to reach eight. These can finish with points shared in a 7-7 draw.
In the knockout stage, the semi-finals are best of 19 legs, and the final best of 21 legs.
Who is playing? | Premier League Darts 2021 Line-Up
The 10 players in this year’s Premier League are:
- Gary Anderson
- Nathan Aspinall
- Jonny Clayton
- Rob Cross
- José de Sousa
- Glen Durrant
- Gerwyn Price
- Dimitri Van den Bergh
- Michael van Gerwen
- Peter Wright
