WORLD'S TOP TWO SET FOR BETWAY PREMIER LEAGUE SHOWDOWN
MICHAEL VAN GERWEN and Phil Taylor will meet for the first time in 2015 when they face off in the Betway Premier League at Nottingham's Capital FM Arena on Thursday, as league leader Dave Chisnall takes on St Helens rival Stephen Bunting.
The world's top two ranked players will collide in one of five huge match-ups in front of 6,000 fans in Nottingham as van Gerwen puts his unbeaten record this season on the line.
The Dutch star won his opening three games before drawing against Adrian Lewis and Peter Wright over the past fortnight - only to storm to victory last weekend in the UK Open in Minehead, where he overcame Wright in the final.
Van Gerwen is now aiming to take that form into his showdown with Taylor, with the pair having not met since last year's Perth Darts Masters final.
"Phil's the best player of all time and we always have top games and I hope I can put on a fantastic performance against him again," said van Gerwen.
"Over the last couple of years I've had some good results against him, and I hope I can get another on Thursday.
"I've not lost in the Premier League yet so my form will be there and it's going to be a cracking game. I'm feeling great after the UK Open and I just want to continue this form now."
Taylor is unbeaten in his last four Premier League games and sits third in the league table, just a point behind van Gerwen, going into Thursday's contest.
Although he was knocked out of the UK Open by Wright in a high-quality quarter-final, Taylor is in confident mood as he prepares to take on the player who took his mantle as World Champion and world number one in 2014.
"Michael's had an amazing year or so and is playing brilliantly at the moment, but I'm up for it this week," said Taylor, who launched the PDC's charity partnership with the Stoke-based Donna Louise Children's Hospice Trust on Wednesday.
"I'm playing well but I'm not going to sit on my laurels. I want to push forward now, get better and more focused.
"I want to win this. I'm more keen, more hungry than ever and they're in for a battle and Michael will have a fight on his hands. It will be a proper darts match."
Another eagerly-awaited contest sees unbeaten league leader Dave Chisnall, who has won four and drawn one of his five games so far this season, taking on St Helens rival Stephen Bunting.
Bunting picked up his first Betway Premier League win last week and also overcame Chisnall during his run to the UK Open semi-finals last weekend, but the Grand Slam runner-up is aiming for revenge on Thursday.
"I've played really well for the last few Thursdays and I want to keep that going against Stephen," said Chisnall. "He was the better player in the UK Open on Saturday but this is a new game.
"I've been working hard and the practice is paying off, so I'll keep doing what I've been doing and I'll be trying to go through the season unbeaten."
Bunting is one of four players tied on three points at the foot of the table as the battle to avoid elimination on Judgement Night continues, with Raymond van Barneveld also involved in the basement battle alongside two players who face off in Nottingham, Kim Huybrechts and Peter Wright.
Huybrechts won his first game of the season with a superb display against van Barneveld in Exeter last week - missing double 12 for a nine-dart finish before claiming victory with a 170 checkout.
"It's good to be playing someone who's in the same position as me because you know that he's under pressure as well," said Huybrechts.
"I've been really happy with my form in the last couple of weeks, even when I lost to Dave Chisnall with a 107 average. If you're averaging above 105 regularly you'll get points eventually, and I've got to try keep it up now."
Wright, meanwhile, has drawn with van Barneveld, Taylor and van Gerwen over the past three weeks and performed superbly during his run to the UK Open final in Minehead.
"The weekend was great for my confidence and I've taken a point from three of the best players in the world in the last three weeks of the Premier League, which is also good for me," said Wright.
"I've only had these darts for a couple of weeks so I'm happy with how they're going and I'm still working hard with them.
"I'm feeling pretty confident going into the game with Kim Huybrechts now."
Van Barneveld takes on fifth-placed James Wade in Nottingham, while World Champion Gary Anderson plays Adrian Lewis as they look to edge away from the battle at the foot of the table.
A small number of tickets for Thursday's Betway Premier League remain available by calling the Capital FM Arena on 0843 373 3000 or online via www.capitalfmarena.com.
Betway Premier League
Night Six, Thursday March 12
Capital FM Arena, Nottingham
Stephen Bunting v Dave Chisnall
Raymond van Barneveld v James Wade
Phil Taylor v Michael van Gerwen
Gary Anderson v Adrian Lewis
Kim Huybrechts v Peter Wright
Tickets: 0843 373 3000 or www.capitalfmarena.com
Week Six Match Odds
2/1 Stephen Bunting
7/2 Draw
10/11 Dave Chisnall
15/8 Raymond van Barneveld
7/2 Draw
Evens James Wade
7/4 Phil Taylor
7/2 Draw
11/10 Michael van Gerwen
11/10 Gary Anderson
7/2 Draw
7/4 Adrian Lewis
7/4 Kim Huybrechts
7/2 Draw
11/10 Peter Wright
Odds Courtesy www.betway.com and correct at time of writing.