Price Picks Up Title In Premier League's Belgian Debut
ByPaul Higham
Journalist
12 February 2026
100 Comments
Gerwyn Price ended Michael van Gerwen's unbeaten start to the Premier League by declaring a 6-3 success in night 2's final in Antwerp.
Van Gerwen won the season opener in Newcastle recently and beat Luke Littler in the semis on his way to another last.
But the seven-time champ 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 very first visit to Belgium by edging a final-leg decider of his own against competing Luke Humphries.
For Price it was a welcome success to validate the great kind he had remained in of late.
"I think I'm playing a few of the very best stuff I've played, I'm simply not winning competitions," Price informed Sky Sports after his triumph.
"There's no chance I can't win a significant, 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 competitors's 21-year history, and the 10,000 darts enthusiasts inside the AFAS Dome were treated to plenty of thrills.
Premier League Darts 2026 fixtures, 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 returns
The night began with a bang as the two greatest darts stars on the planet played out a top quality contest that went down to a final-leg decider.
Humphries and Littler both hit seven 180s and averaged over 102 and 105 respectively, but both were remarkably bad on the external ring - missing out on 28 doubles in between them.
Humphries was the much better gamer throughout, but at 4-1 up he started missing out on doubles severely, 17 in all by the end of the match, as Littler engineered an escape to make it 5 straight wins versus his big rival.
World number 2 Humphries has actually now lost 11 of his 15 Premier League meetings with Littler, with his last triumph of any kind against the 19-year-old coming in the tournament's final last May.
The past 4 defeats before this one was available in competition finals, and maybe it is ending up being a psychological barrier now for the safeguarding Premier League champ as his scoring was solid all game, however he could simply not overcome the line.
Comebacks were a style of the opening quarter-finals with all bar Van Gerwen's walk versus an out-of-sorts Josh Rock filled with excitement.
Stephen Bunting finished bottom of the table last year after failing to win a single match in the very first eight weeks, but aimed to have one finished when leading 4-0, just to see Jonny Clayton reel off six straight legs to win 6-4.
And Price had to come from 3-1 and 4-2 down to beat Gian van Veen in the very first of his 2 6-5 success on the night.
Price goes range as MVG sinks Littler
Price's second final-leg decider came against excellent buddy and Wales World Cup team-mate Clayton in a nip-and-tuck fight.
Price had four 180s to Clayton's 3 and balanced just over 100 - however was forced to win the last 2 legs under extreme pressure to make the final.
It was no genuine surprise given 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 an odd 6-4 triumph over Littler where 7 of the 10 legs went against the darts.
The Dutchman averaged just over 100 with an off-colour Littler down at 95 and - oddly for him - only 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 ending up off a 10-darter, in a performance that was a lot more like the Van Gerwen of old.
Despite extraordinary back-to-back finishes of 167 and 160 in the last Van Gerwen was constantly second best, however a win and a last after two nights is a great start considering he stopped working to win a single night in last season's competition.
The results also leave Littler and Humphries in 5th and sixth in the table with just one win each, however there is no panic just yet with 14 weeks of components staying.
Premier League Darts night 2 outcomes
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 stage with quarter-finals, semi-finals and a last each night.
Each of the eight players is guaranteed to deal with the other 7 in the quarter-finals in weeks one to 7 and 9-15, with week eight and week 16 components done off the table. It indicates we will get 4th v 5th in Sheffield on the final league-stage night, with the play-off spots 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 4 gamers after the group stage development to the play-off night at London's O2 Arena on 23 May, with very first dealing with 4th and second against third in a best-of-19-leg match. The last, which is the very best of 21 legs, follows.
If gamers 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