Michael van Gerwen failed to reach the Premier League final round on Thursday. The three-time world champion needed to win against Nathan Aspinall, but did not succeed. The Dutchman lost 6-2 to the Englishman.
The 36-year-old Gerwen needed to win as many as three matches in Sheffield to still have a chance of reaching the final round. In the first round, things already went wrong for the Dutchman, who had a bad start to his match against Aspinall.
In the packed Utilita Arena, Van Gerwen quickly faced a 2-0 deficit. The Dutchman fought his way back into the match with a 49-finish, but ‘The Asp’ never relinquished his lead throughout the match.
Van Gerwen’s average remained at 88.72 per three darts against Aspinall, while the Englishman recorded an average of 98.72. It is the second time that Van Gerwen has missed the final round.
Van Gerwen did not win a single matchday in the Premier League this season. ‘Mighty Mike’ reached the final twice, but lost to world champion Luke Littler in both.
Eighteen-year-old Littler later took the day’s victory. He won in the final 6-3 against Luke Humphries, partly thanks to a 170-finish. The world champion is the top favorite for the overall victory.