GARY ANDERSON has backed Phil Taylor to bounce back from missing out on the Betway Premier League Play-Offs for the first time - and has tipped him to claim a 17th World Championship victory.
Six-time Premier League champion Taylor had secured a top-four finish in the first ten years since the tournament was introduced in 2005 - and had headed the table for the first eight seasons.
However, the Stoke legend will miss out on next week's Play-Offs at The O2 in London after his narrow 7-5 defeat to Anderson in Newcastle last week saw the Scot, and reigning champion Raymond van Barneveld, claim the final two spots in the top four.
Taylor has, though, produced some huge averages throughout the season - including the highest losing average in darting history of 115.80 as he went down to van Barneveld in Glasgow - and sits second only to Michael van Gerwen in terms of tournament average.
Missed doubles have proven costly for Taylor, who has uncharacteristically only landed four ton-plus checkouts during the campaign.
Anderson's two narrow victories over Taylor in the league phase followed his win over his great rival in January's World Championship final, but he said: "Phil's been off his mark but he will bounce back.
"To me, Phil's the best darts player in the world and always has been. Phil's still had some great games, like hitting a 115 average and losing - that's never been heard of!
"When Phil plays bad, he's still playing a 102 tournament average so it's just the luck on the night at the moment.
"I've played Phil over the years and if you miss a dart, or three darts, at a double, he'll take the 160 out, the 167, 145 or 137, put them right into the back of you to give you a kick up the backside, but he's not been doing that this year.
"He'll be back - he'll come back and teach us a lesson, I'm sure. People write him off and say things about him, but darts is where it is because of Phil Taylor, it's as simple as that.
"I still want to see him win another World Championship title - it just wasn't this year!"
Van Gerwen currently has the highest tournament average, of 104.01, and has also recorded the highest match average of 116.90 in a whitewash of James Wade, as well as six of the highest 14 match averages this season.
High-flying Dave Chisnall - who could still snatch top spot from van Gerwen - is also averaging over 100 for the season to date following a brilliant campaign.
Chisnall's 100.26 tournament average includes nine matches with a ton-plus average, while he has also hit more 180s (58) and ton-plus checkouts (16) than any other player to secure his first semi-final spot.
Betway Premier League
2015 Season Stats
Following Week 14 (15 matches played)
| Name | Tournament Average | Ton-Plus Averages | 180s | Ton-Plus Finishes | High Finish |
| M van Gerwen | 104.01 | 12 (116.90 highest) | 53 | 13 | 160 |
| Phil Taylor | 102.45 | 11 (115.80) | 39 | 4 | 151 |
| Gary Anderson | 99.97 | 7 (108.98) | 54 | 10 | 152 |
| Adrian Lewis | 98.52 | 5 (113.80) | 47 | 10 | 147 |
| Peter Wright | 93.75 | 1 (100.25) | 18 | 7 | 170 |
| James Wade | 96.98 | 5 (104.42) | 22 | 11 | 170 |
| Dave Chisnall | 100.26 | 9 (114.17) | 58 | 16 | 150 |
| R van Barneveld | 97.46 | 5 (104.37) | 48 | 4 | 161 |
| Kim Huybrechts | 97.59 | 2 (107.01) | 27 | 3 | 170 |
| Stephen Bunting | 94.09 | 2 (103.43) | 41 | 8 | 164 |
Highest Match Averages
59 ton-plus averages following Week 14 (top 20 below)
|
116.90 |
W |
Michael van Gerwen |
Week 12 v James Wade |
|
115.80 |
L |
Phil Taylor |
Week Seven v Raymond van Barneveld |
|
114.17 |
W |
Dave Chisnall |
Week Ten v James Wade |
|
113.80 |
W |
Adrian Lewis |
Week One v Raymond van Barneveld |
|
112.91 |
W |
Michael van Gerwen |
Week 13 v Phil Taylor |
|
110.78 |
W |
Dave Chisnall |
Week Five v Gary Anderson |
|
109.44 |
W |
Michael van Gerwen |
Week Two v Stephen Bunting |
|
108.98 |
W |
Gary Anderson |
Week Six v Adrian Lewis |
|
108.91 |
W |
Adrian Lewis |
Week 14 v Michael van Gerwen |
|
108.83 |
D |
Gary Anderson |
Week Nine v Raymond van Barneveld |
|
108.71 |
W |
Michael van Gerwen |
Week Eight v Raymond van Barneveld |
|
108.33 |
W |
Phil Taylor |
Week Two v Adrian Lewis |
|
107.72 |
W |
Michael van Gerwen |
Week One v Kim Huybrechts |
|
107.61 |
W |
Michael van Gerwen |
Week Six v Phil Taylor |
|
107.58 |
L |
Phil Taylor |
Week 13 v Michael van Gerwen |
|
107.01 |
L |
Kim Huybrechts |
Week Four v Dave Chisnall |
|
107.01 |
W |
Dave Chisnall |
Week Four v Kim Huybrechts |
|
106.94 |
W |
Gary Anderson |
Week Two v Peter Wright |
|
106.91 |
W |
Dave Chisnall |
Week Ten v Gary Anderson |
|
106.48 |
W |
Phil Taylor |
Week Five v James Wade |