Sky Sports pundits warn Luke Humphries that time is running out as he chases a top-four finish in the 2026 Premier League. With four regular-season nights remaining, the defending champion sits sixth on 13 points after a heavy 6-2 quarter-final loss to Luke Littler on Night 12 in Liverpool.
Night 12 reshuffled the mid-table. Gian van Veen moved above Humphries after picking up two points following his quarter-final win over Gerwyn Price and subsequent semi-final exit. Michael van Gerwen also extended his advantage by reaching the semis, leaving MVG on 18 points and Humphries needing a strong run to get back into the play-off places.
How points are awarded in Premier League Darts:
– Nightly winner: 5 points
– Runner-up: 3 points
– Losing semi-finalist: 2 points
– Losing quarter-finalist: 0 points
Those totals mean Humphries would need at least a night win and MVG to score nothing just to draw level with MVG — and probably more to overtake him. “Time is running out,” said Sky Sports’ Wayne Mardle, while Laura Turner added that Humphries “needs to win a couple of nights” if he hopes to retain the title.
The current table outside the top two: Jonny Clayton leads on 32 points with Luke Littler second on 29 after the pair contested another final in Liverpool. Gerwyn Price sits third on 19, Michael van Gerwen fourth on 18, Gian van Veen fifth on 14, Humphries sixth on 13, Stephen Bunting seventh on 11 and Josh Rock bottom on 8.
Clayton and Littler have been dominant, sharing the last three nightly wins. Clayton can secure his place at The O2 on May 28 with victory in his Night 13 quarter-final against van Veen in Aberdeen; even a defeat wouldn’t necessarily end his chances depending on van Veen’s result. Littler, who closed the gap to Clayton by beating him 6-1 in Liverpool, said he’s intent on chasing down the top spot.
At the other end, Josh Rock’s quarter-final exit to MVG left him on eight points and 10 off a play-off place. Rock had been in form earlier, but two nightly wins from here would only level him with MVG for fourth — and only if MVG and other rivals scored no further points.
Key upcoming matches give challengers and leaders fresh opportunities. Humphries meets MVG in Aberdeen on Night 13, while Bunting faces Price in a quarter-final that could reshuffle the battle for third and fourth.
Remaining league fixtures:
Night 13 – April 30, P&J Live, Aberdeen
Quarter-finals
– Josh Rock v Luke Littler
– Stephen Bunting v Gerwyn Price
– Jonny Clayton v Gian van Veen
– Luke Humphries v Michael van Gerwen
Night 14 – May 7, First Direct Arena, Leeds
Quarter-finals
– Gerwyn Price v Jonny Clayton
– Luke Littler v Michael van Gerwen
– Josh Rock v Luke Humphries
– Gian van Veen v Stephen Bunting
Night 15 – May 14, Utilita Arena, Birmingham
Quarter-finals
– Josh Rock v Gian van Veen
– Gerwyn Price v Michael van Gerwen
– Luke Humphries v Stephen Bunting
– Jonny Clayton v Luke Littler
Night 16 – May 21, Utilita Arena, Sheffield
(Based on league table after Night 15)
Quarter-finals
– 2nd vs 7th
– 3rd vs 6th
– 1st vs 8th
– 4th vs 5th
Finals Night format and prize money:
The play-offs take place at The O2 in London on Thursday, May 28. Semifinals are contested over 19 legs and the final is best-of-21 legs. The 2026 prize fund has risen to £1.25 million. Each semi-finalist is guaranteed £110,000, the runner-up receives £170,000 and the winner takes £350,000.
With just four nights remaining, Humphries and several chasing players face a tight sprint to secure a top-four finish, while Clayton and Littler look well placed to fight for the regular-season top spot.