Premier League Darts permutations: Luke Humphries leapfrogs Michael van Gerwen into Play-Off spot
Luke Littler and Jonny Clayton have booked their places at Finals Night at The O2 on May 28; Gerwyn Price and Luke Humphries currently occupy the final two Play-Off spots, with Michael van Gerwen, Gian van Veen and Stephen Bunting chasing
Friday 8 May 2026 02:25, UK
Luke Humphries moved one point ahead of Michael van Gerwen and into the fourth and final Premier League Darts Play-Off spot with only two weeks remaining before Finals Night at The O2.
Humphries now the man to beat for Play-Off spot
Humphries has been the chaser for the past few weeks, gradually reeling in Van Gerwen in fourth before finally leapfrogging him on Night 14 in Leeds.
The defending champion earned three points for victories over Josh Rock and Stephen Bunting on his way to the final, taking his tally to 19 for the season, while Van Gerwen stays stuck on 18 after back-to-back quarter-final exits.
- Premier League darts: Latest schedule and results ✅
- Darts in 2026: Key dates, calendar, results 📅
- Got Sky? Watch on the Sky Sports app 📱
- Not got Sky? Get instant access with NOW 📺
Gian van Veen and Bunting are still in contention for that final Play-Off spot, albeit Van Veen's defeat to the latter in their quarter-final in Leeds saw him lose ground on Humphries, who he started the night level on 16 points with.
He now trails the world No 2 by three points, while Bunting - beaten in the semis by Humphries after spurning three match darts - is a further three points off the pace on 13.
'The Bullet' does, however, get an immediate opportunity to eat into that gap and gain some revenge on 'Cool Hand' when then pair meet again in the quarter-finals next week in Birmingham.
Van Gerwen, meanwhile, faces Gerwyn Price - third in the table on 21 points - and has the chance to drag him back into the scuffle for Play-Off places.
Littler moves clear of Clayton in battle for top spot
The top two are already assured of their places at Finals Night at The O2 on May 28, with Littler and Jonny Clayton having shared the last five nightly wins to sit first and second respectively, on 39 and 34 points.
The Welshman's semi-final loss to Littler in Leeds, however, gifted the world No 1 the chance to move further clear in top spot which he duly took with his third-straight nightly win and a record-equaling sixth of the campaign.
And Littler is not done there.
"I'll take winning three nights in a row! I'm in the clear now and I just need to keep top spot," Littler told Sky Sports.
"I'm very happy with myself and now I can go on to break my own record."
Rock now officially out of mix for Finals Night
As well as the top two having qualified, we now have certainty over one other position in the Premier League table and that is Rock now officially being out of contention for Finals Night.
Humphries' three-point haul in Leeds, which included a quarter-final win over the Norther Irishman, took him to 19 points - 11 clear of Rock, who is still rooted at the bottom on eight.
With only 10 points up for grabs over the final two nights in Birmingham and Sheffield, it means Rock's admittedly slim Play-Off hopes have been extinguished.
Premier League Darts - remaining league fixtures
Night 15 - May 14, Utilita Arena, Birmingham
Quarter-finals
Josh Rock v Gian van Veen
Gerwyn Price v Michael van Gerwen
Luke Humphries v Stephen Bunting
Jonny Clayton v Luke Littler
Night 16 - May 21, Utilita Arena, Sheffield
Based on league table after Night 15
Quarter-finals
2nd vs 7th
3rd vs 6th
1st vs 8th
4th vs 5th
What is the format for Finals Night?
The season-ending play-offs take place on a bumper night at The O2 in London on Thursday, May 28.
Finals Night is not the best-of-11 legs we see in the regular rounds, with each semi-final contested over 19 legs before a final that is the best-of-21 legs instead.
What is the prize?
As part of the PDC's biggest prize money increase in its history, the total prize pot for the 2026 Premier League is £1.25 million, up from £1m the previous year.
Each of the four semi-finalists are guaranteed £110,000, with the runner-up taking home £170,000 and the winner claiming £350,000.
Who will win this year's Premier League Darts? You can watch the action every single Thursday until May on Sky Sports. Stream darts and more top sport with NOW.
