Gerwyn Price ended Michael van Gerwen's unbeaten start to the Premier League season by winning night two in Antwerp, claiming a 6-3 victory in the final. The event marked the PDC Premier League's first visit to Belgium in its 21-year history, drawing 10,000 fans to the AFAS Dome. Van Gerwen had won the season opener in Newcastle and beat Luke Littler in the semi-finals, but Price proved too strong, lifting the title after two earlier final-leg deciders.
The night began with a thrilling quarter-final between Luke Littler and Luke Humphries, which Littler edged 6-5 in a final-leg decider. Both players hit seven 180s, with Littler averaging over 105 and Humphries over 102, but they missed 28 doubles between them. Humphries led 4-1 but missed 17 doubles overall, as Littler secured his fifth straight win against his rival. Humphries has now lost 11 of 15 Premier League meetings with Littler, with his last victory dating back to the tournament's final in May. In other quarter-finals, Michael van Gerwen beat Josh Rock 6-2, Jonny Clayton came from 4-0 down to defeat Stephen Bunting 6-4, and Gerwyn Price rallied from 3-1 and 4-2 deficits to beat Gian van Veen 6-5.
In the semi-finals, Van Gerwen overcame Littler 6-4 in a match where seven of the 10 legs went against the darts. Van Gerwen averaged just over 100, hitting four 180s, while Littler averaged 95 with only one maximum. Price then faced Clayton in another tight battle, winning 6-5 after trailing in the final legs. Price hit four 180s to Clayton's three and averaged just over 100, extending his dominance to nine straight wins against his compatriot. The final saw Van Gerwen hit back-to-back finishes of 167 and 160, but Price controlled the match for a 6-3 win. Price, who told Sky Sports he's playing some of his best darts, emphasized that averages are for show and winning matches leads to tournaments.
The results leave Littler and Humphries fifth and sixth in the table with one win each, but with 14 weeks remaining. The Premier League format includes 16 initial weeks with quarter-finals, semi-finals, and a final each night, where players earn two points per quarter-final win, an extra point for a semi-final win, and five for winning the night. The top four after the group stage advance to the play-offs at London's O2 Arena on May 23. Next up, night three will be held at the OVO Hydro in Glasgow on Thursday, February 19, featuring quarter-finals: Stephen Bunting v Gian van Veen, Luke Humphries v Josh Rock, Michael van Gerwen v Luke Littler, and Jonny Clayton v Gerwyn Price.
