The Premier League resumes on Wednesday evening once again, with nightly action live on Sky Sports through to Sunday!
Sunday 30 August 2020 22:58, UK
After six consecutive nights of Premier League action at the Marshall Arena in Milton Keynes, we take stock and reflect on who enjoyed a positive week, and who had a week to forget.
Glen Durrant
What a week for the three-time Lakeside winner. Durrant was the only player to go through the six nights at Milton Keynes unbeaten, and he has now stretched his lead at the summit of the table to four points.
It is not only the results that have been so impressive, but also the manner in which he has secured them. From swashbuckling wins over Michael van Gerwen and Gerwyn Price, to gritty showings like his hard-fought comeback draw against Gary Anderson. The Middlesbrough native can do it all.
Last year showed that Glen Durrant belongs in the PDC. The 2020 Premier League campaign shows that he belongs at its very top table.
He is now odds-on to finish first in the league phase. From there, can he win his first major title since switching from the BDO?
Gary Anderson
Other than Durrant, no player picked up more points this week than 'The Flying Scotsman'.
Barring one heavy defeat at the hands of Gerwyn Price, the two-time world champion showed some of his best form. He has openly admitted he has not practised much in recent months. But if that is the level of which he is capable without spending time on the practice board, then he could be on course for a strong finish to 2020.
He will be haunted by the seven missed match darts in his draw with Durrant, but overall it was an extremely satisfying week's work for the 49-year-old, and he is well positioned in the race for the Play-Offs.
Gerwyn Price
It is not like the bullish Welshman to quietly go about his business, but that is exactly what he did in recent days.
Having been mathematically in with a chance of being eliminated on Judgement Night, he delivered a string of powerful performances which see him now sitting in the play-off spots.
Wins of 7-0 and 7-1 over Jermaine Wattimena and Gary Anderson respectively, along with just his second win over MVG propelled him up the rankings.
He flexed his muscles on Sunday night with a victory over world champion Peter Wright, in which he averaged 106.83.
'The Iceman' has found his form, and that is when he is at his most dangerous.
Rob Cross
Last year's beaten finalist had a week to forget in Milton Keynes. As the rest of the field moved away from the drop zone, 'Voltage' got sucked towards the bottom of the table with three consecutive losses.
The 2018 world champion was far from the required standard against Van Gerwen, and was outclassed by Michael Smith and Durrant.
Can Cross turn things around in the coming months? There is no shortage of big titles up for grabs, and the 29-year-old will be looking to find form quickly.
Michael van Gerwen
Van Gerwen's 'crisis' is what many top players would probably consider a hot streak. But those are the standards 'The Green Machine' sets for himself.
This week he was questioned in several quarters, and admitted himself that he was struggling for confidence. Three defeats in four nights is not something he is used to, and the world No 1 will be eager to set the record straight and defend his Premier League crown.
But despite a rocky patch in recent days, there were signs of life from MVG on Sunday night. After a slow start, his performance levels crescendoed against Smith, and he roared in celebration after sealing the 8-5 win.
Nonetheless, some questions remain; were his struggles this week merely a blip in form? Or are there underlying issues?
We will find out when the action resumes on Wednesday.
Michael Smith
'The Bully Boy' picked up just four points from a possible 12 throughout the week, in what is an incredibly open tournament.
But he will not have long to spend, trying to figure out which areas of his game he needs to improve before Wednesday.
While his scoring was more than satisfactory, his finishing let him down on more than one occasion. The St Helens man is brimming with potential, and he is still in the mix for the Play-Offs. But he needs to get it right on the outer ring if he is to finish in the top four.
The Premier League resumes on Wednesday evening once again, with nightly action live on Sky Sports through to Sunday!
