Michael van Gerwen won his fourth Premier League night of the season as he prevented Luke Littler from picking up his third in a row in Birmingham.
The Dutchman had only managed one match win in this tournament since completing a hat-trick of successes back in week four due to a combination of injury and loss of form, but he bounced back to get his campaign back on track.
Littler still leads the standings ahead of Luke Humphries, who he beat for a sixth time in a row in the semi-finals with an average of 107, while MVG is hot on their heels ahead of next week's trip to Amsterdam.
Prior to a scrappy final, in which MVG averaged just 90 compared to the 17-year-old's lowly 88, the defending champion overcame Nathan Aspinall and Michael Smith by 6-4 scorelines, with Littler's other win coming against Rob Cross in a deciding leg.
"It's about time," joked Van Gerwen, who moves up to third, four points adrift of table-topper Littler.
"I have made it a little bit hard for myself, but the most important thing is how you bounce back, and how do you reflect on the last few weeks.
"We all know the last few weeks have not been great for me, but to come back with a win here tonight feels good.
"I had to battle tonight. I had to dig deep. I wasn't playing my A-game, but this win gives me confidence of course.
"I believe in my own ability. You need to make sure you stay focused and that's what I've done, but there's still more to come."
World number one Humphries had returned to winning ways on the Premier League stage in the evening’s opener against Peter Wright, reeling off five straight legs from 4-1 adrift to cement second spot in the table.
In the night's other quarter-final tie at a sell-out Utilita Arena, Smith denied Gerwyn Price in a high-quality affair, averaging 104 and pinning six of his nine attempts at double to close the gap on fourth-placed Aspinall to a solitary point.
Premier League results: Night 11
Utilita Arena, Birmingham
TV Channel: Sky Sports (1900 GMT)
Quarter-Finals
- Peter Wright 4-6 Luke Humphries
- Rob Cross 5-6 Luke Littler
- Gerwyn Price 3-6 Michael Smith
- Michael van Gerwen 6-4 Nathan Aspinall
Semi-Finals
- Luke Humphries 5-6 Luke Littler
- Michael Smith 4-6 Michael van Gerwen
Final
- Luke Littler 3-6 Michael van Gerwen
Darts: Related content
- 2024 PDC Darts Calendar
- 2024 Premier League Season
- What's easier, a nine-darter or a 147?
- Watch: Royal Rumble and other new tournament ideas
- Watch: How much do darts players earn?
- Watch: Is Luke Littler the next Phil Taylor?
- Watch: Building the perfect darts player
- Watch: How to become a darts professional
- 2024 World Darts draw, schedule & results
- 2024 World Darts Championship guide
- How legends would fare today
- Troubles and triumphs
- Tournament ideas for darts
- 'What If' moments in darts
- Agony of missed match darts
- Good, Bad, Ugly: Nicholson on darts shirts
- Referees in darts
- Calling the shots in darts
- Weird actions in darts
- Hidden talents in darts
- Superstitions in darts
- Routes to glory
- Paul Nicholson's five darts drills
- Paul Nicholson's five mental tips
- Paul Nicholson's five practice games
- Worst losers in darts
- World number ones in darts
- Best players never to be number one
- Five characters in darts
- Do averages lie?
- Greatest Tournaments Ever
- Paul Nicholson's Ally Pally tales
- Watch all the Ally Pally nine-darters
- Players everyone hates to face
- Players everyone loves to face
- How to make it as a pro?
- How much money do players earn?
- Greatest darts rivalries
- Rivalries to cherish
- Be canny with counting
- Phil Taylor's greatest display
- Greatest World Championship displays
- World Cup of Great Darts performances
- Sky Bet's darts odds