Michael van Gerwen was a level above his Premier League rivals, says Wayne Mardle
Saturday 28 May 2016 10:43, UK
Michael van Gerwen played on 'another level' to his Premier League rivals as he claimed the title for a second time, says Sky Sports expert Wayne Mardle.
The 27-year-old Dutchman reinforced his status as the world No 1, beating Adrian Lewis 7-4 in the semi-finals, before a one-sided 11-3 win over Phil Taylor in the final at The O2.
Van Gerwen had finished top of the table after just one defeat in the competition's opening week and also set the highest televised average of 123.4 during the campaign.
Mardle believes 'Mighty Mike' has been the stand-out player in the Premier League and questioned whether his current high standards in a fiercely competitive era will ever be matched.
"Yes, he is on another level. Just look at the averages," Mardle told Sky Sports. "We go on about the averages as a guide only, but they're a brilliant guide.
If you look in the next 10 years, I think the averages that he's producing now can't be any better in the next 10 years.
"If you look in the next 10 years, I think the averages that he's producing now can't be any better in the next 10 years. Some of the darts he's throwing - it's incredible.
"Over the longer period, Phil Taylor has done it, but Michael is proving he's good enough. He is setting new standards, but he's got to do it for a long time yet.
"No-one is going to do it for 25 years like Phil has, but the competition is so rife. Phil Taylor never had to cope with the quality that Michael van Gerwen is having to manage."
Taylor's brief hopes of a comeback were snuffed out by a stylish 100 finish from Van Gerwen, who hit double 20 in successive darts to open a commanding 7-3 lead.
Mardle feels that Taylor's resistance was broken in the decisive moment of the match as Van Gerwen demonstrated the very same ruthless finishing that served 'The Power' well in previous years.
"Phil's done it, he was the master at playing like this," said Mardle. "Michael does it in a different way, with less fuss. Michael does it with a speed and a panache that Phil Taylor just can't manage. When there was a big moment in that game, Michael was the man. That 100 finish - that was it.
"Phil's reaction was just to look at his entourage, his family and friends in the audience. Look at Michael as if to say: 'what on earth?' And Michael celebrated, because Michael knew 6-4 to 7-3 changes absolutely everything. After the break it was done and dusted pretty shortly."
