Michael van Gerwen is hoping a return to home soil can inspire his revival when the BetMGM Premier League season continues in Rotterdam on Thursday evening.
The Rotterdam Ahoy will play host to Night 11 of this year’s roadshow on April 17, as Dutch superstar Van Gerwen prepares to take centre stage.
The seven-time Premier League champion is currently outside the Play-Off positions on legs difference, having only progressed to a solitary nightly final across the opening ten weeks.
However, no player has won more quarter-final ties than Van Gerwen in this year’s competition, and he will be hoping to maintain that consistency when he kicks off his bid against Stephen Bunting.
Bunting broke his Premier League drought with Night Nine glory in Berlin a fortnight ago, although Van Gerwen averaged 109 and ran out a 6-1 winner when the pair last met on Night Two.
"This is always the week where you want to perform and do well," insisted Van Gerwen - the most successful player in BetMGM Premier League history.
"Playing on home soil in front of your family and friends, you always want to produce something extra. It's really enjoyable and it gives me more energy, which I think is really important.
"I've been struggling a little bit recently, but I've been battling and picking up points here and there, and I know there is plenty more in the tank.
"This is a difficult format, especially when you're not performing at your best, but I need to make sure I do the right thing for myself, and hopefully I can get my first nightly win [of the season] here in Rotterdam."
Van Gerwen will take on either Luke Littler or Rob Cross if he overcomes Bunting, with league leader Littler chasing a record-breaking fifth nightly win of the season.
Littler’s lead at the Premier League summit was cut to five points following his semi-final defeat to Luke Humphries in Manchester, while Cross is three points adrift of the top four places following his last eight exit against Nathan Aspinall.
Aspinall catapulted himself into the Play-Off positions following his memorable victory on Night Ten, defeating Cross, Van Gerwen and Humphries to maintain his terrific run of form.
The Stockport star lifted his maiden European Tour title in Gottingen last month, and he’s since competed in another European Tour final, before reaching Monday’s Players Championship 13 final.
“Five weeks ago, I was really struggling, but the last three weeks have proved why I'm still playing,” declared Aspinall, a Premier League runner-up in 2020.
“I've been through a horrendous two years but I'm a fighter; I’m a warrior.
“I don't know when I'm beaten and I'm in a privileged position doing a job I love. I keep fighting to the end and I will never give up.
“I’m feeling confident, and the thing is with me, when I'm a confident player and scoring well, there's not many people in the world of darts that can beat me.”
Aspinall will take on Gerwyn Price for a place in the Night 11 semi-finals, after the Welshman landed a sensational nine-darter in a losing cause against Littler last week.
Price became the fourth player to achieve perfection in this year’s Premier League, but he’ll be focused on returning to winning ways in Rotterdam, with only legs difference separating the pair ahead of Thursday’s clash.
The evening’s opener will see Chris Dobey face world number one Humphries, who advanced to his fifth nightly final of the campaign in Manchester.
Humphries registered a staggering 118.43 average in his quarter-final demolition of Bunting – the third-highest figure in Premier League history – and he’s also won each of his three meetings with Dobey in this year’s competition.
The 2025 Premier League sees 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 are 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.
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 (outside of the UK, Ireland, Germany, Austria & Switzerland).
2025 BetMGM Premier League
Night 11 - Thursday April 17
Rotterdam Ahoy
Quarter-Finals
Chris Dobey v Luke Humphries
Gerwyn Price v Nathan Aspinall
Stephen Bunting v Michael van Gerwen
Luke Littler v Rob Cross
Semi-Finals
Dobey/Humphries v Price/Aspinall
Bunting/Van Gerwen v Littler/Cross
Final
v
All matches best of 11 legs
