STEPHEN BUNTING is aiming to reverse his heaviest Betway Premier League defeat when he takes on Phil Taylor in one of two Aberdeen encounters on Thursday night.
Bunting went down 7-1 in the third week of the tournament as he took on Taylor in front of his home Merseyside crowd at the Echo Arena in Liverpool.
The 30-year-old has since picked up two wins and a brace of draws to avoid elimination from the tournament, and will double up in Aberdeen by facing Adrian Lewis before returning to the stage to take on Taylor.
With Taylor having lost four of his last five games, Bunting is hoping that he can capitalise in their return meeting at the GE Oil & Gas Arena.
"Last time I played him was in Liverpool in front of my home crowd and there was more pressure on me because I was playing in Liverpool than because I was playing Phil to be honest," he said.
"He's had a couple of defeats but he's bounced back from everything else that people have thrown at him in the past and I won't be taking him lightly.
"He's the best player there ever has been so I'll be going there with my own game plan, trying to get into him early and pull away hopefully."
Bunting's opening clash in Aberdeen sees him take on Lewis, and the former Lakeside Champion is targeting a Premier League double following a fine 7-3 win over the Stoke ace in Exeter.
"Any win in the Premier League is always going to be special, especially with it being my debut season, and that was my first," reflected Bunting.
"Adrian's a fantastic player but he was struggling a bit for form when we played last time - now he's playing really well again and last weekend he won two events and was runner-up in the other!
"I'll go into the game as confident as ever and try to hit the big scores and big finishes when I can."
Bunting sits two points adrift of the three players tied in fourth place in the league table - Taylor, Lewis and James Wade - ahead of the visit to Aberdeen, and admits that the night will be key in his bid to win a Play-Off spot to crown his debut season.
"It's a huge night," he added. "I've just got to get up there, play my normal game and enjoy it.
"I think I've been putting too much pressure on myself over the last ten weeks in the Premier League and it's time to enjoy it now - I'm still in, after the cut-off, and I want to take my A-game onto that stage and see what I can do.
"I've not even looked at the Phil game yet - last time I played Adrian in the Premier League I got the win and I'll be looking to do the same on Thursday.
"If I get the two wins it will put me on 11 points and that's the plan because if I can win the two games on Thursday it will put me in a really good position to get into the Play-Offs."
Betway Premier League
Night 11, Thursday April 16
GE Oil & Gas Arena, Aberdeen
Dave Chisnall v Phil Taylor
Stephen Bunting v Adrian Lewis
James Wade v Gary Anderson
Raymond van Barneveld v Michael van Gerwen
Stephen Bunting v Phil Taylor