"I think I'm going to hit one in this Premier League"
Friday 22 February 2019 10:45, UK
Michael van Gerwen feels he is in the right form to hit a nine-dart finish in the 2019 Premier League.
The world champion hit a perfect game last weekend in the Players Championship against Jamie Hughes, and after his 7-2 dismantling of Rob Cross in Dublin on Thursday night, he said he is in the right frame of mind to replicate it in a televised game.
"I think I'm going to hit one in this Premier League," he said. "I love to play in front of crowds like this. Here in Dublin, they've been phenomenal. Everywhere I come, if they support me, I like to perform.
"That drives me, that gives me motivation for the rest of the season. The only thing you can be is a happy man."
MVG has three wins from the first three weeks in the Premier League and, having scooped the Masters title last month, the Dutchman is operating at a level higher than any other player in world darts.
"There's never perfect," he smiled. "If it's perfect, you have to throw nine-darter after nine-darter. It's not possible. You need to be your best, as long as you like what you're doing, enjoy what you're doing, if the people enjoy watching, everything is good."
Van Gerwen missed two darts at double for a whitewash victory over the 2018 world champion in Dublin, and while he was disappointed not to score the 7-0 victory, knows that it was an impressive result.
"When you have a chance to beat someone 7-0, you should take it," he said. "It didn't happen for me today but it's one of those things. Rob wasn't playing his best performance so far in the Premier League but on the other hand I can't really complain. I played him three times now in the Premier League, and all three times we played, I won 7-2 so that's not too bad.
"You need to have a ruthless mentality, otherwise you can't be in the position I'm in at the moment. You need to be ruthless with everyone and it's a one-man game. You need to perform as good as you can and I'm trying all the time. I try to get better all the time. It's hard because the field is quite strong. A win is a win and you need to be happy with that."
"You need to have a ruthless mentality, otherwise you can't be in the position I'm in at the moment."
The world No 1 is sitting pretty at the top of the Premier League, and is eager to maintain his lofty perch.
"Week after week you have to perform and can't make any mistakes," he said. "But I know I'm a person who can literally do that but you have to perform. That's the only thing that counts.
"My goal [is to] not to get relegated," he joked.
The Premier League heads to the Westpoint Arena, Exeter on Thursday, February 28. You can also stay up to date with all the action by following us @SkySportsDarts and get all the latest news, previews and interviews www.skysports.com/darts
