ANOTHER MAXI(BR)MUM FOR CLAYTON? - Premier League Night 10 review
Night 10 of the 2023 Premier League heads to Birmingham, with last week’s winner Jonny Clayton just 3 points of the Top 4. The Welshman faces 4th placed Nathan Aspinall in a crunch match in relation to the Play Off race, with 7 weeks now left to play before Final’s Night at the O2 Arena.
The Ferret beat league leader Michael van Gerwen, back-to-back Euro Tour winner Gerwyn Price and Reigning World Champion Michael Smith to win Night 9 at the Mercedes Benz Arena in Berlin.
Clayton played at the most recent International Darts Open in Riesa, beating the likes of Dave Chisnall and Brian Raman to reach the Quarter Finals.
Aspinall despite not winning a night yet in this year’s Premier League, sits on 15pts in the league table, level on points with 3rd placed Michael Smith. The Asp lost out to Bully Boy last week in Germany at the Semi Final stage, but has been perilous in the Quarter Finals only losing 2 from the 9 nights played.
2nd placed Gerwyn Price will face Dimitri van den Bergh in Birmingham, with the Iceman coming into Night 10 on the back of winning the International Darts Open for the 4th time.
The Welshman has won 3 nights so far in this year’s Premier League, winning in Cardiff on Night 2 before back-to-back victories in Nottingham and Newcastle.
The World No 4 reached the Semi Finals last week losing to eventual winner Jonny Clayton 6-4 in the German capital. Price is looking in good shape to secure his maiden finish in the top 4 of the table but knows there is still a long way to go with 7 weeks left before Finals night.
League leader Michael van Gerwen will open the action at Utilita Arena against Masters Champion Chris Dobey. The last match between the pair came at the Motorpoint Arena in Nottingham on Night 7, where Hollywood ended the Dutchman’s fantastic 3-night winning run with a 6-0 win.
MVG sits comfortably in the Premier League Top 4, with 13 points separating him from 5th placed Jonny Clayton. The former 3-time World Champion will hope to return to winning ways in Birmingham after losing to the Welshman in the Quarter Finals last week in Berlin.
Peter Wright returned to winning ways on the European Tour last weekend, defeating Spaniard Jose Justicia and Alan Soutar to reach the Quarter Finals of the International Darts Open.
Snakebite will be looking to add to his Premier League points tally on Night 10 in Birmingham, as he prepares to take on the defending World Champion Michael Smith. The Scotsman beat Bully Boy on his way to winning the Nordic Darts Masters back in January, as the former 2-time World Champion beat the remainder of the World’s Top 4 from the Quarter Finals onwards, to win in the Danish capital.
The action starts from 7pm live on Sky Sports, with defending champion and league leader Michael van Gerwen opening up the Night against 6th placed Chris Dobey.
By Harry Masterson
Premier League Night 10: Order of Play
Quarter Finals:
Michael van Gerwen v Chris Dobey
Nathan Aspinall v Jonny Clayton
Dimitri van den Bergh v Gerwyn Price
Peter Wright v Michael Smith
Semi Finals:
Van Gerwen/ Dobey v Aspinall/ Clayton
Van den Bergh/ Price v Wright/ Smith
Final:
Winner of SF1 v Winner of SF2
Premier League Table:
- Michael van Gerwen: 25pts
- Gerwyn Price: 20pts
- Michael Smith: 15pts
- Nathan Aspinall: 15pts
- Jonny Clayton: 12pts
- Chris Dobey: 10pts
- Dimitri van den Bergh: 9pts
- Peter Wright: 2pts