Gerwyn Price has promised to show Gian van Veen “no mercy” when they meet on stage as the Premier League Darts heads to Berlin on Thursday.
Van Veen is back after missing last week’s night in Dublin following surgery to remove kidney stones and also sat out a European Tour event in Belgium. The world championship finalist travelled to Germany despite feeling fatigued and low on energy.
“I know how tough it is to miss tournaments and let your points slip,” Price said. “I messaged him and said, ‘maybe you should take another week off’ — he saw the funny side but I’m glad he’s back and I’m looking forward to playing him!” He added with a grin: “I hope he’s going to play rubbish. I’m up there to win and show no mercy to anyone. Hopefully he’s medically fine but I just hope he can’t throw darts.”
Price acknowledged the pain of kidney stones and praised Van Veen for returning so quickly, while remaining unsure how fit he is: “Fingers crossed he’s medically fine.”
Michael van Gerwen sympathised with Van Veen and highlighted how gruelling the Premier League format can be. “We’re all human at the end of the day,” he said. “Having his kidney stones removed is not a pleasant thing but it is what it is. It’s a very short format with a lot of travelling. You’re playing against the top players week after week; it can be hard sometimes, especially when you’re in a situation where you don’t have any points yet.”
Van Gerwen also defended Luke Humphries after content creator Charlie Murphy questioned Humphries’ “stage aura.” Humphries, who claimed his ninth European Tour title in Belgium by beating Jonny Clayton, shrugged off the criticism and Van Gerwen backed him: “Luke is an absolutely fantastic dart player… I know Luke is a fantastic guy and an even better dart player. I have to battle against him.”
Humphries said winning in Wieze was a boost. “I’m working so hard to try and push every dart player and be the best version of myself,” he said. “I love this sport, I love being a part of it and winning trophies means the world to me. When you’re not winning as much, it becomes harder and you feel the nerves, but hopefully I’m going to keep pushing now.”
Luke Littler is aiming to go top of the table as the tour moves to Berlin’s Mercedes-Benz Arena. The 2024 champion earned his second nightly win of the season in Dublin, fighting back from big deficits to overcome Michael van Gerwen and Gerwyn Price, and currently sits three points behind league leader Jonny Clayton.
“I’ve finished top in the last two years and I want to do it again,” Littler said. “With the start Jonny had and the start I’ve had, obviously it’s good to see I’ve closed the gap to Jonny in second spot. I’m right behind him now, so we’ll go and chase him!”
What’s happening on Premier League Night Eight in Berlin?
Night Eight of the BetMGM Premier League takes place on Thursday, March 26 at the Mercedes-Benz Arena. Quarter-final match-ups for this night are set by the league standings.
Night Eight – Mercedes-Benz Arena, Berlin — Thursday March 26
Quarter-finals:
– Jonny Clayton vs Josh Rock
– Luke Humphries vs Michael van Gerwen
– Luke Littler vs Stephen Bunting
– Gerwyn Price vs Gian van Veen
Quarter-final fixtures for most nights follow a draw bracket order; Night Eight (and Night 16) are determined by the standings heading into each night.
Luke Humphries is defending his Premier League title this year.