VAN GERWEN & LITTLER SET FOR BLOCKBUSTER BELFAST CLASH
Seven-time champion Michael van Gerwen will match up against Luke Littler who begin his defence of the BetMGM Premier League title on the tournament’s opening night at The SSE Arena in Belfast on Thursday.
Van Gerwen will look to avenge his defeat to Littler in a repeat of last month’s World Championship final, where the Dutch star was denied a historic triumph by the teenage sensation at Alexandra Palace.
Van Gerwen and Littler’s showdown will headline Thursday’s opening night in the Northern Irish capital, as the 18-year-old aims to maintain his winning run against the Dutch superstar.
Littler has won the pair’s last four meetings dating back to September 2024, and he also secured a nightly win in Belfast during last year's showpiece.
However, Van Gerwen edged their head-to-head record in last year’s Premier League, winning four of their seven matches during the league phase.
"I think me and Michael are both going to be at the top of our game tomorrow night," declared Littler, who is aiming to emulate Van Gerwen and Phil Taylor by retaining the Premier League title in 2025.
"There may be some nerves coming in as the reigning champion, but I'm just looking forward to getting back on the big stage in front of thousands of fans!
The 2025 Premier League will again see eight of the sport’s biggest names contesting 16 mini-events during the season, with each league night comprising quarter-finals, semi-finals and a final over the best of 11 legs.
Ranking points will be awarded per night - with five to the winner, three to the runner-up and two to the semi-finalists - to form the league table from which the top four players will progress to the Play-Offs at The O2 in London on Thursday May 29.
World number one Luke Humphries will also star on Thursday’s opening night, as he takes on 2023 World Matchplay champion Nathan Aspinall in a battle of the former Premier League finalists.
Humphries impressed in his first fully-fledged campaign last year, claiming nightly wins in Brighton, Nottingham, Dublin and Leeds, eventually finishing runner-up to an inspired Littler.
However, Humphries comes into Thursday’s curtain-raiser fresh from lifting the revamped Winmau World Masters title last weekend, and he’s hoping to extend his winning run in Belfast.
"Last weekend gave me a big confidence boost, and it was great to get another major title in the bag," claimed the 2023/24 World Champion.
"Darts is in the best place it's ever been, so it's a privilege to be at the forefront of the sport as the world number one, and hopefully it continues to flourish.
"You always have a target on your back as world number one or World Champion, but you've just got to own it and perform as well you can.
"The Premier League is always a title you want to win because it's so prestigious and so tough to win, and it would mean a lot to get my hands on that trophy this year."
Stephen Bunting and Rob Cross will also lock horns in Belfast, in a repeat of their clash in last month’s Dutch Darts Masters final.
World Championship semi-finalist Bunting will make his full-time return to the Premier League fold after a ten-year hiatus, having made his debut in the sport’s biggest roadshow back in 2015.
The evening’s opening quarter-final will see Chris Dobey and Gerwyn Price collide for the first time since their last eight clash at the World Darts Championship, where Dobey ran out a 5-3 winner.
Both players boast fond memories of playing in Belfast, with Dobey claiming a nightly victory on the opening night of the 2023 tournament, courtesy of a deciding-leg victory over Michael van Gerwen.
Price, meanwhile, famously landed a brace of nine-darters on his way to a nightly victory in Belfast back in 2022, achieving perfection against Van Gerwen and James Wade on a famous night in Northern Ireland.
"My game is in a good place, and I'm in a good place mentally as well," insisted the Welshman, who topped the league phase in 2023.
"I've got great memories of playing in Belfast, and I'm really looking forward to getting underway. I'm feeling more positive than ever.
"It's great for your confidence to get off to a good start, but this year I'm just going to target each quarter-final as my main game, and then I'll go from there!"
The BetMGM Premier League's opening night in Belfast will be followed next Thursday by a visit to Glasgow’s OVO Hydro on February 13.
The darting roadshow also travels across the UK as well as to Dublin, Rotterdam and Berlin across the 17-night season, which culminates in May's Play-Offs at The O2 in London.
The 2025 BetMGM Premier League will be broadcast live on Sky Sports in the UK & Ireland, through the PDC's worldwide broadcast partners including DAZN and Viaplay, and on PDCTV for Rest of the World Subscribers.
2025 BetMGM Premier League
Night One - Thursday February 6
The SSE Arena, Belfast
Quarter-Finals
Chris Dobey v Gerwyn Price
Stephen Bunting v Rob Cross
Luke Littler v Michael van Gerwen
Nathan Aspinall v Luke Humphries
Semi-Finals
Dobey/Price v Bunting/Cross
Littler/Van Gerwen v Aspinall/Humphries
Final
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