MICHAEL van Gerwen looks “drained” and doesn’t belong in the Premier League top four.
That’s according to his best mate Vincent Van der Voort who believes MVG’s recent form simply isn’t good enough to warrant a play-off place.
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On Thursday night in Rotterdam, MVG lost 6–5 to Stephen Bunting despite fighting back from a poor start.
Three-time World champion Van Gerwen’s average in the first three legs was below 70.
‘Mighty Mike’ now sits fifth in the table and is two points off Nathan Aspinall who is in third.
Van der Voort told De Telegraaf: “With this level of play, Michael van Gerwen does not belong in the top four.
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“If you don’t win a single night, you have no business being in the semi-finals.
“You can see he’s searching right now.
“Is he driving himself crazy? Of course he is. When you’ve been that good for so long, this must feel like pure torture.
“He gets mad at himself—and understandably so. We all know how good he is.
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“That average after three legs against Stephen was shockingly low, yet he still managed to fight back.
“You can see the will is there, but the form simply isn’t.”
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Van der Voort also pointed to the relentless Premier League schedule as a contributing factor.
He added: “You need time to train, but during the Premier League, that time just doesn’t exist.
“It’s incredibly frustrating. Only after it ends can he begin to rebuild.”
Van Gerwen now finds himself in unfamiliar territory — the hunter has become the hunted.
World No. 3 Van Gerwen has not won a ranked televised major since 2022 at the Players Championship Finals and is still awaiting his first title of 2025.
Premier League Darts 2025
THE Premier League Darts is back with eight players vying for massive prize money and Luke Littler's crown.
The teenager, who went on to win the world title in December, won the Premier League in 2024 and will be looking to defend his crown over 18 thrilling weeks.
There were two new entries this season, with Stephen Bunting and Chris Dobey replacing Peter Wright and Michael Smith.
Luke Humphries, Rob Cross, Michael van Gerwen, Gerwyn Price and Nathan Aspinall keep their place in what will be a hotly-contested title race.
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‘The Dutch Destroyer’ said: “He’s never going to reach the playoffs like this. Something drastic needs to happen.
“In the past, he owned the stage—the celebrations, the intensity, the fire. Now it all feels like routine.
“He seems drained. And honestly, it’s hard to get fired up for a 41 score.
“He used to look at others and wonder how they lost form.
“Now he’s in that same situation.”
But despite the struggles, Van der Voort is still backing 47-time major winner Van Gerwen to bounce back.
He said: “If you put things into perspective, he’s still just outside the top four or five.
“And this is him at rock bottom. That’s something positive to take.
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“He can turn it around. He won’t suddenly average 110 again every night, but even a strong B-game from Michael is good enough to reach the semi-finals.
“We just have to be honest—for the first time in years, he’s not one of the favourites. Unfortunately.”
