2015 Premier League Darts preview: Can Raymond van Barneveld defend his crown?

The 2015 Betway Premier League Darts season gets underway in Leeds’ First Direct Arena next Thursday and it promises to be one of the most competitive campaigns yet.

The Premier League has had four different winners in the past four years, and defending champion Raymond van Barneveld faces a stiff challenge to hold onto his crown.

The Dutchman renews acquaintances with Adrian Lewis in week one, having defeated ‘Jackpot’ at the World Championship. Lewis hit a nine-darter in that third round loss and he will be looking to atone for last year’s poor Premier League campaign, where he won just five of his 16 matches.

Gary Anderson has been a busy man since capturing his maiden world title. The Flying Scotsman plays Phil Taylor next Thursday in a repeat of this year’s final at Alexandra Palace, and the tough games keep on coming. A Premier League winner in 2011, Anderson faces Peter Wright, Michael van Gerwen and James Wade in the next three rounds so he needs to hit the ground running.

Live Premier League Darts

Another player who has handed a challenging start is debutant Stephen Bunting. The 2014 Lakeside champion flew up the rankings in his first year in the PDC and was narrowly defeated in a thrilling World Championship quarter-final against Van Barneveld.

Bunting’s first game is against James Wade, who he defeated at the Grand Slam of Darts and Alexandra Palace. He meets Van Gerwen in round two before facing Taylor in front of a partisan Liverpool crowd a week later.

‘The Power’ made a dismal start to last year’s Premier League, losing four of his opening five games including a 7-0 whitewash against Van Gerwen. However, he recovered to reach the semi-finals and his form at the end of 2014 suggests he is well placed to compete for a record seventh Premier League crown.

Having failed to defend his world title, Van Gerwen faces a big test of character as he looks to bounce back from that disappointment. The Dutchman endured poor spells during matches at Alexandra Palace and it proved costly, but he has consistently registered high averages in the Premier League and was impressive form as he clinched the Unibet Masters last weekend.

James Wade is a Premier League veteran, having emerged victorious in 2009 and also reached two finals, while Dave Chisnall and Kim Huybrechts are both capable of competing for a top-four spot if they can add some consistency to their game. A captivating season lies in store, and you won't miss one minute of it with Sky Sports.

Every single dart will be shown live on Sky Sports between February 5 and May 21. For the full schedule of matches click here.

Feb 5: First Direct Arena, Leeds

Feb 12: BIC, Bournemouth

Feb 19: Echo Arena, Liverpool

Feb 26: Odyssey Arena, Belfast

Mar 5: Westpoint Arena, Exeter

Mar 12: Capital FM Arena, Nottingham

Mar 19: The Hydro, Glasgow

Mar 26: 3Arena, Dublin

Apr 2: The Manchester Arena

Apr 9: Motorpoint Arena, Sheffield

Apr 16: GE Oil & Gas Arena, Aberdeen

Apr 23: Motorpoint Arena, Cardiff

Apr 30: The Barclaycard Arena, Birmingham

May 7: Metro Radio Arena, Newcastle

May 14: The Brighton Centre

May 21: The O2, London