Van Gerwen Proves He Can Still Mix It with the Best in Premier League Darts Triumph
Darts has long been a sport prone to periods of individual dominance.
Phil Taylor was head and shoulders above the rest of his peers to the point that he was able to win 16 world titles over a period of more than two decades.
Adrian Lewis and Gary Anderson won four world championships between them in the period 2011-2016… with both men also losing twice in the final of the PDC showpiece in that timeframe.
Michael van Gerwen reigned as the world number one for a staggering seven years between 2014 and 2021, but he has found it hard to sustain that dominance since – as Sky Sports Darts pundit Wayne Mardle has alluded: ‘darts is a young man’s game now.’
Even so, MVG was able to roll back the years by winning the opening event of the 2026 Premier League in Newcastle…
Mighty Mike
The World Darts odds tout Van Gerwen as a mere 22/1 chance to land a fourth world title in 2026-27, behind the likes of Luke Humphries (6/1) and co.
Mind you, his darts odds for the Premier League have shortened to 11/1 in the wake of his opening night win in Newcastle, where he downed two former world champions in a vintage night of action.
Stephen Bunting was first up. And while The Bullet himself fired with an average of 97.59, it wasn’t enough to halt the charge of a rampaging Van Gerwen, whose 100.58 aided him in a 6-2 margin of victory.
Luke Humphries, many pundits’ idea as one of the favourites for the trophy, was also ruthlessly despatched by the Dutchman, with Van Gerwen coasting to another 6-2 win.
He neither raised his game nor allowed his performance level to dip in the final, averaging 97.81 to win 6-4 and complete a rather unexpected victory.
Well, unexpected to everyone but the man himself: MVG remains as bullish as ever. “Mentally, I’m strong and I know what I’m capable of,” he reflected after one of his best nights in darts for quite some time.
History Repeating?
Van Gerwen didn’t win a single night of Premier League action in 2025.
In fact, he only reached two finals in all during the calendar year – bookending defeat in the World Championship trophy game with victory in the World Series Finals.
The Dutchman has dipped to a world ranking of fourth – his lowest since 2012, to indicate that maybe his time at the top of the sport is coming to an end.
He has spoken openly about the battles he has faced in his private life away from the oche, which clearly haven’t helped his form, but the dartist formerly known as Mighty Mike is seemingly in a better place these days.
That was evident at the Bahrain Darts Masters at the start of 2026, where he defeated the likes of Bunting and Gerwyn Price to lift the remarkable palm tree-shaped trophy.
There’s nothing quite like that winning feeling in sport, so Van Gerwen – who did a sterling job as a man invincible during his seven-year stint at the helm of the world rankings – can start to dream of what the year ahead may hold for him.
Success on the European Tour will be a priority, but surely the main ambition will be to land a blue riband TV title on UK soil… something MVG hasn’t accomplished since winning the Premier League in 2023.
Wouldn’t it be ironic if it was the Premier League that broke that duck this year? For a man as dominant as Van Gerwen once was in darts, there’s no irony or coincidence to winning trophy after trophy – it’s a mere side effect of the 'talent + hard work = success' equation.