Price Gets 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 victory 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 champ was no match for Welshman Price, who had come through two final-leg deciders before lifting the title in more comfortable style.
Littler had earlier opened the competition's first visit to Belgium by edging a final-leg decider of his own versus competing Luke Humphries.
For Price it was a welcome success to validate the great form he had actually been in of late.
"I believe I'm playing a few of the very best stuff I've played, I'm just not winning competitions," Price informed Sky Sports after his success.
"There's no chance I can't win a major, larger Pro Tours, Europeans. Averages are just for show and if you play well on your darts and win matches you win tournaments. I'm going to get some."
The PDC Premier League visited Belgium for the very first time in the competition's 21-year history, and the 10,000 darts enthusiasts inside the AFAS Dome were treated to lots of delights.
Premier League Darts 2026 fixtures, results and table
5 days earlier
Premier League: Price beats Van Gerwen to win Antwerp final - as it happened
Littler beats Humphries on night of returns
The night started with a bang as the 2 biggest darts stars worldwide played out a top quality contest that decreased to a final-leg decider.
Humphries and Littler both struck seven 180s and averaged over 102 and 105 respectively, but both were remarkably bad on the outer ring - missing out on 28 doubles in between them.
Humphries was the better player throughout, however at 4-1 up he started missing doubles terribly, 17 in all by the end of the match, as Littler engineered an escape to make it 5 straight wins versus his huge rival.
World number 2 Humphries has actually now lost 11 of his 15 conferences with Littler, with his last victory of any kind against the 19-year-old being available in the tournament's final last May.
The previous 4 defeats before this one was available in tournament finals, and perhaps it is becoming a psychological barrier now for the defending Premier League champion as his scoring was strong all game, however he might just not get over the line.
Comebacks were a theme of the opening quarter-finals with all bar Van Gerwen's stroll against an out-of-sorts Josh Rock filled with enjoyment.
Stephen Bunting ended up bottom of the table in 2015 after stopping working to win a single match in the very first eight weeks, however looked to have one finished when leading 4-0, only to enjoy Jonny Clayton rattle 6 straight legs to win 6-4.
And Price needed to originate from 3-1 and 4-2 down to beat Gian van Veen in the very first of his two 6-5 victories on the night.
Price goes range as MVG sinks Littler
Price's second final-leg decider came against buddy and Wales World Cup team-mate Clayton in a nip-and-tuck fight.
Price had 4 180s to Clayton's 3 and averaged just over 100 - but was required to win the last 2 legs under severe pressure to make the last.
It was no genuine surprise offered Price had actually won nine in a row versus his compatriot and 15 of their past 16 meetings.
Van Gerwen did not impress in his opener however definitely did in a weird 6-4 success over Littler where 7 of the 10 legs broke the darts.
The Dutchman balanced just over 100 with an off-colour Littler down at 95 and - oddly for him - only handling a single maximum, while Van Gerwen struck 4.
But it was the finishing under pressure that made the difference as the Dutchman struck 6 of 13 attempts at a double, including completing off a 10-darter, in a performance that was a lot more like the Van Gerwen of old.
Despite incredible back-to-back finishes of 167 and 160 in the final Van Gerwen was always second best, but a win and a last after 2 nights is a fantastic start considering he stopped working to win a single night in last season's competitors.
The results also leave Littler and Humphries in 5th and 6th in the table with just one win each, but there is no panic right now with 14 weeks of components staying.
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 across 16 initial weeks in the league phase with quarter-finals, semi-finals and a final each night.
Each of the eight players is ensured to deal with the other seven in the quarter-finals in weeks one to 7 and 9-15, with week 8 and week 16 fixtures done off the table. It indicates we will get fourth v fifth in Sheffield on the last league-stage night, with the play-off areas possibly on the line.
Players earn 2 points per quarter-final win, an additional point if they win their semi-final and five for winning the night.
The leading four gamers after the group stage development to the play-off night at London's O2 Arena on 23 May, with first facing 4th and 2nd versus 3rd in a best-of-19-leg match. The final, which is the very best of 21 legs, follows.
If players are level on points after the 16 weeks then locations are chosen by nights won and after that matches won.
Premier League Darts night 3 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