Michael van Gerwen made a major statement as he won Night One of the Premier League Darts 2026 with a 6-4 win over Gian van Veen in the final in Newcastle.
The man who looked most comfortable in the former Dutch final was Van Gerwen, and a night’s victory proved too far for Van Veen on his debut night.
Ranked third in the world at the World Darts Championship, Van Veen took the Dutch number one title from Van Gerwen, forcing ‘The Green Machine’ to relinquish the title for the first time in a decade.
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Highlights from Luke Littler and Van Veen’s Premier League quarter-final clash
But Van Gerwen reminded everyone why he held the position for so long.
Surprisingly, Van Gerwen missed out on a nightly win in the Premier League in 2025, but he ensured a perfect start to 2026 as he vowed to enjoy his darts.
“It’s definitely a good performance,” Van Gerwen said. sky sports.
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The moment Van Gerwen beat Van Veen to win the Premier League Darts season opener
“I won without having my A game. I was consistent and had a fantastic finish at the right moment.
“I know I can do better, but this gives me confidence. Winning games is the best medicine.
“I want to qualify for the playoffs, but that’s not my top priority. My top priority is ranking tournaments.
“The Premier League is the second biggest tournament for us, but for me personally the ranking event is more important.
“But that doesn’t take away from this tournament, winning is never boring. I want that consistency that is missing in my game.
“I want to have fun, and the results will come.”
After Night One, Van Gerwen was top of the table with five points, Van Veen was second with three, Jonny Clayton and Luke Humphries had two and Gerwyn Price, Luke Littler, Stephen Bunting and Josh Rock had zero.
Van Gerwen is top of the table after Night One of the 2026 Premier League Darts season.
Van Gerwen’s statement night at the show
Van Gerwen was in good form all night and continued his fast start in the final with Van Veen quickly picking up the first two legs on the back foot.
‘The Giant’ brought the score back to 2-2 but the seven-time Premier League winner was unfazed. He continued to outscore his opponent to take a 4-2 lead.
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Stephen Bunting plays during Night One of the Premier League Darts match in Newcastle.
Although not at his incredible best, Van Gerwen took advantage of his luck to keep the fight going and throw, wasting three match darts at 5-3.
However, given the darts and time, Van Gerwen once again found his power scoring and took first place, achieving D14 in just one week.
MVG also looked commanding in the semifinals, beating reigning champions Humphries 6-2.
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Van Gerwen broke 114 and earned a 6-2 win over Luke Humphries.
While Humphries struggled in doubles, Van Gerwen showed how to finish with a 104-run checkout and a 114-run finish to ensure he was up to the task against his fellow Dutchman.
‘The Green Machine’ got their campaign off to a strong start with a 6-2 win over Bunting.
After Bunting claimed a quick 2-0 lead, Van Gerwen reeled off a stunning leg six off the spin to set up a clash with the world number two.
Van Veen shines in PL debut
Van Veen opened his Premier League account with a dream debut as he took revenge on Littler for his World Darts Championship final defeat.
The Dutch No. 1, who averaged in the mid-90s, beat Littler with a D16 in the final match to advance to the semifinals.
But losing the opening game is nothing new for ‘The Nuke’. That’s because he also suffered an opening quarter-final loss in 2025 when he lost to Van Gerwen. However, in that match he averaged over 113.
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The moment Van Veen defeated Littler in the quarterfinals
Van Veen advanced to the final after a tough 6-4 win over Clayton.
The Dutchman went on top of the match after three throw downs, but after missing the match dart, ‘The Ferret’ fought back to take the contest 5-4.
But Van Veen once again found his 180 and made it count, draining D16 for an 11-darter.
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Humphries recorded his 40th win by beating Gerwyn Price in the quarterfinals.
Clayton bounced back in a 6-2 win over the Rock, averaging 110 and posting a 67% checkout percentage in doubles, besting a debutant who averaged over 102.
Meanwhile, defending champion Humphries battled his way through a nerve-wracking final decider to secure a 6-5 victory over Price.
His 105 average helped him get over the line, and after missing his own match dart and surviving the ‘Iceman’s’ match dart, Humphries booked his place in the semi-finals of D2.
Who will be the Premier League Darts winner this year? Luke Humphries is set to defend his title and you can watch the action every Thursday from February to May on Sky Sports. Stream the best sports including darts with NOW.
