Price Picks Up Title In Premier League's Belgian Debut
ByPaul Higham
BBC Sport Journalist
12 February 2026
100 Comments
Gerwyn Price ended Michael van Gerwen's unbeaten start to the Premier League by declaring a 6-3 triumph in night 2's last in Antwerp.
Van Gerwen won the season opener in Newcastle recently and beat Luke Littler in the semis on his method to another final.
But the seven-time champion was no match for Welshman Price, who had actually come through 2 final-leg deciders before lifting the title in more comfortable fashion.
Littler had earlier opened the competition's first see to Belgium by edging a final-leg decider of his own versus competing Luke Humphries.
For Price it was a welcome success to verify the great type he had remained in of late.
"I believe I'm playing a few of the very best things I've played, I'm simply not winning tournaments," Price informed Sky Sports after his victory.
"There's no other way I can't win a significant, larger Pro Tours, Europeans. Averages are just for program and if you play well on your darts and win matches you win tournaments. I'm going to get some."
The PDC Premier League went to Belgium for the very first time in the competition's 21-year history, and the 10,000 darts fanatics inside the AFAS Dome were treated to lots of thrills.
Premier League Darts 2026 components, outcomes and table
5 days earlier
Premier League: Price beats Van Gerwen to win Antwerp last - as it took place
Littler beats Humphries on night of comebacks
The night began with a bang as the two most significant darts stars in the world played out a premium contest that decreased to a final-leg decider.
Humphries and Littler both hit 7 180s and averaged over 102 and 105 respectively, however both were surprisingly poor on the outer ring - missing out on 28 doubles in between them.
Humphries was the better gamer throughout, but at 4-1 up he started missing out on doubles badly, 17 in all by the end of the match, as Littler engineered an escape to make it 5 straight wins against his big rival.
World second Humphries has actually now lost 11 of his 15 Premier League meetings with Littler, with his last triumph of any kind versus the 19-year-old being available in the competition's final last May.
The previous 4 beats before this one can be found in competition finals, and perhaps it is ending up being a psychological barrier now for the defending Premier League champion as his scoring was solid all video game, but he could simply not get over the line.
Comebacks were a style of the opening quarter-finals with all bar Van Gerwen's walk against an out-of-sorts Josh Rock filled with excitement.
Stephen Bunting completed bottom of the table last year after failing to win a single match in the first 8 weeks, however wanted to have one stitched up when leading 4-0, only to enjoy Jonny Clayton reel off six straight legs to win 6-4.
And Price needed to originate from 3-1 and 4-2 to beat Gian van Veen in the first of his 2 6-5 success on the night.
Price goes distance as MVG sinks Littler
Price's 2nd final-leg decider came versus buddy and Wales World Cup team-mate Clayton in a nip-and-tuck battle.
Price had 4 180s to Clayton's 3 and averaged just over 100 - but was required to win the final two legs under severe pressure to make the last.
It was no real surprise offered Price had actually won 9 in a row against his compatriot and 15 of their past 16 meetings.
Van Gerwen did not impress in his opener but definitely carried out in a weird 6-4 victory over where seven of the 10 legs went against the darts.
The Dutchman averaged simply over 100 with an off-colour Littler down at 95 and - strangely for him - just managing a single optimum, while Van Gerwen hit 4.
But it was the finishing under pressure that made the distinction as the Dutchman hit six of 13 attempts at a double, consisting of rounding off a 10-darter, in an efficiency that was much more like the Van Gerwen of old.
Despite extraordinary back-to-back finishes of 167 and 160 in the final Van Gerwen was constantly 2nd best, however a win and a last after 2 nights is an excellent start considering he failed to win a single night in last season's competitors.
The outcomes also leave Littler and Humphries in fifth and 6th in the table with simply one win each, but there is no panic right now with 14 weeks of components remaining.
Premier League Darts night two results
Thursday, 12 February - FAS Dome, Antwerp
Luke Littler 6-5 Luke Humphries
Michael van Gerwen 6-2 Josh Rock
Jonny Clayton 6-4 Stephen Bunting
Gerwyn Price 6-5 Gian van Veen
Littler 4-6 Van Gerwen
Clayton 5-6 Price
Van Gerwen 3-6 Price
Premier League Darts table
Premier League Darts format and points system
Premier League Darts is played throughout 16 initial weeks in the league phase with quarter-finals, semi-finals and a final each night.
Each of the eight gamers is guaranteed to face the other seven in the quarter-finals in weeks one to 7 and 9-15, with week eight and week 16 components done off the table. It implies we will get 4th v fifth in Sheffield on the last league-stage night, with the play-off areas potentially on the line.
Players make two points per quarter-final win, an extra point if they win their semi-final and 5 for winning the night.
The leading 4 gamers after the group stage progress to the play-off night at London's O2 Arena on 23 May, with very first dealing with 4th and 2nd versus third in a best-of-19-leg match. The last, which is the best of 21 legs, follows.
If players are level on points after the 16 weeks then places are decided by nights won and after that matches won.
Premier League Darts night three order of play
Thursday, 19 February - OVO Hydro, Glasgow
Quarter-finals
Stephen Bunting v Gian van Veen
Luke Humphries v Josh Rock
Michael van Gerwen v Luke Littler
Jonny Clayton v Gerwyn Price
Semi-finals
Bunting/Van Veen v Humphries/Rock
Van Gerwen/Littler v Clayton/Price
Final
Bunting/Van Veen/Humphries/Rock v Van Gerwen/Littler/Clayton/ Price
Darts