Gary Anderson is relishing his tough return to action at the Unibet Premier League this week.
Two-time Premier League champion Anderson will face Michael Smith, Gerwyn Price and Michael van Gerwen over the first three of six nights behind closed doors in Milton Keynes.
The Scot sits on six points in the league table, four ahead of ninth-placed Daryl Gurney, but is also only three points behind league leader Glen Durrant following the opening six games earlier in 2020.
Despite meeting three of the world's top four on consecutive nights, Anderson is in confident mood and said: "I take it as it comes.
"To win any tournament nowadays with all these boys, you've got to beat every one of them. I don't think Michael van Gerwen's going to get it all his way now; the boys are stepping up the ladder even more now.
"It's hard; to win anything nowadays you've got to beat everyone that's put in front of you.
"We've got six nights of the Premier League; it will be good, you're playing every night so I think once you get a few nights the darts will start [coming] back."
Tuesday's tie with Smith sees Anderson resume his friendly rivalry with a player he once acted as a mentor for, and he holds the upper hand following his narrow win in the recent World Matchplay semi-finals.
Anderson admitted: "He might think about it. I won't be thinking about it; as long as we go up there and have a good game, as long as I play well, that's my battle.
"If we win, that's great, a bonus; if we don't, obviously I've not played well enough to beat Michael. It should be a good game hopefully."
Anderson competed in the most recent match on the Milton Keynes stage, but lost out in the World Matchplay final to Dimitri Van den Bergh a month ago.
The 49-year-old is, though, taking the positives from his run in the World Matchplay.
"It was definitely strange with no crowd," he reflected. "You did hear the applause and turned around and there's nobody there - I watched a bit of the snooker [World Championship] and it was the same kind of scenario.
"Dimitri didn't have much to beat in the final to be honest. I think I was stuck back on the M25 in that final but these things happen; so you just wake up the next day and get on with it.
"I'm not being funny when I say we've had five or six months off and I played the three nights in the internet tournament and the four or five nights in Milton Keynes for the ProTours and that's the only darts that I'd thrown.
"I was expecting the first game, Justin Pipe, would have been a hard game. I got past that but I wasn't looking to get to the final to be honest, the way I was practising. The work that I'd put in was non-existent, so to get to the final was a bonus, definitely."
Star On The Big Screen!
Be part of the action when the Unibet Premier League resumes on Tuesday August 25.
Whilst the action will not include a live audience, following the success of involving fans in the action at the recent World Matchplay there will be the opportunity to provide videos and pictures to be displayed on a giant screen inside the arena during the events.
Fans are encouraged to share their videos and pictures with the PDC through this link.
Fans from cities where the Premier League would have originally visited during that period - Birmingham, Rotterdam, Berlin, Belfast and Leeds - are encouraged to wear the colours of their city or even send in videos & photos by local landmarks!
Download The 180 Card!
Fans can also download the Unibet Premier League 180 Card to print at home - use this to write on messages for your pictures, or simply use at home during the events!
Click here to download the Unibet Premier League 180 Card.
Buy A Programme!
The official Unibet Premier League event programme can be purchased now for just £1+P&P from Curtis Sport.