Premier League Darts: Michael van Gerwen beats Peter Wright 11-10 to retain his title

Premier League Darts: Play-off results

Scroll down for leg-by-leg recaps and statistics from every game

Final
Michael van Gerwen 11-10 Peter Wright

Semi-Finals
Michael van Gerwen 10-7 Gary Anderson
Peter Wright 10-9 Phil Taylor 

Michael van Gerwen survived six missed match darts from Peter Wright as he claimed a pulsating 11-10 victory to retain the Premier League Darts title at London’s O2 on Thursday night.

The world number one had first despatched former two-time champion Gary Anderson 10-7 in the first semi-final before overcoming Phil Taylor's conqueror Snakebite in a final-leg decider to lift the trophy for the third time in his career and the £250,000 first prize.

Van Gerwen's incredible reprieve came in the 20th leg when Wright missed a dart at double 16 and two more at double eight before missing three more at the same target on his next visit. 

The two-time world champion, who has reached the Premier League final every year since his debut campaign in 2013, took advantage on double 10 before putting a clearly crestfallen Snakebite to the sword with a 12-darter in what was a rather anti-climatic deciding leg.

Wright also led 5-1 and 7-2 after a stunning first half of the match but a resurgent MVG came back out after the interval, when he trailed 7-3, much more like his true self to keep his hands on the trophy for another year.

Snakebite, 47, earned his place in his first ever Premier League final by ending Taylor’s dreams of a fairytale seventh crown in his last season before retirement as he clinched a mentally-draining 10-9 triumph. But perhaps those efforts eventually took their toll in the highly-pressurised moments to come.

Van Gerwen, who last week scooped the league leaders' bonus of £25,000 after topping the table for a fifth straight year, found momentum at just the right time and his nine 180s helped bring his average up from the mid-90s to 104.76 while his finishing improved significantly after the break.

The 28-year-old told www.pdc.tv: "It's a fantastic moment for me. I think that was a great final and I'm really glad I can walk away with this trophy again. I missed a few chances and Peter finished well, he did what he had to do but after the break I played really well and I had a great comeback.

"Peter started playing well again and I don't know how he missed six darts for the match. A player of his quality normally hits the double, but for some reason he missed them. This was a really crazy game.

"Peter was really close today but I kept myself relaxed and stepped in at the right moment. It's been great, absolutely fantastic."  

Van Gerwen has been odds-on favourite since the start of the 16-week season but despite topping the table ahead of Wright by a single point last week, he’s not quite created the same aura of dominance as he did last year.

His opponent headed into his first play-offs appearance with the most tournaments won this season with seven, including two victories over van Gerwen in European Tour finals, while he was also looking to add a second major TV crown to his CV having claimed the UK Open back in March.

But van Gerwen put the record straight by collecting the biggest prize of the season so far to silence any lingering doubters.

"Well done to the champion, fair play to Michael," said Wright, who collects the runners-up cheque of £120,000. "It's been a good season, the top two players finished one and two.

"By the end of tonight that's gone, and Michael will know I've let him off. I can't believe I missed so many darts at a double. You can't have five darts at a double to beat the number one in the world and double world champion, and it's something I've got to learn.

"I'll go back to the practice board and then get him next time. At the moment I think I should have won, but that's gone and I'll start to think about the next tournament.

"You've got to learn to lose before you win, and I'm not going to lose any more - the wins are coming."

Scroll down for the leg-by-leg recaps and statistics from all three Play-Off games as well as quotes from losing semi-finalists Phil Taylor and Gary Anderson.

Click here for the full Premier League season results, standings & statistics

Premier League Play-Offs: Leg-by-leg recap and statistics

Final: Peter Wright 10-11 Michael van Gerwen

Best of 21 legs

LEG 21
MICHAEL VAN GERWEN RETAINS THE PREMIER LEAGUE DARTS TITLE! Wright begins this leg clearly crestfallen after those six missed darts to win the biggest title of his career and van Gerwen instantly goes in for the kill with his ninth 180 of the match. Further visits of 137 and 96 leave him 88 and with Wright stranded on 175, he finishes the job on double four.
Wright 10-11 Van Gerwen

LEG 20
Peter Wright misses SIX match darts to become the Premier League Darts champion for the first time in his career! And van Gerwen takes full advantage by hitting double 10 to force a decider.
Wright 10-10 Van Gerwen

LEG 19
Wright controls this leg on throw with three visits of 100 or more and a 65 leaving him 96, which he takes out in two darts.
Wright 10-9 Van Gerwen

LEG 18
This epic final looks like it could well be going the full distance as a 14-dart leg from MVG restores parity once more. His finishing has been so much better since the interval.
Wright 9-9 Van Gerwen

LEG 17
Wright hits back with a brilliant 12-dart leg which he finishes by checking out from 84 by hitting 20, treble 14 and double 11.
Wright 9-8 Van Gerwen

LEG 16
We're all square as MVG fires on all cylinders with yet another maximum to start this leg and seven darts later he hits double top for a checkout from 94!
Wright 8-8 Van Gerwen

LEG 15
The momentum is well and truly with the Dutchman now as he gets the final back on throw with a crucial break. Two 180s in this high-quality leg - taking his tally to seven - set him up but he still needed Wright to miss a dart at double 12.
Wright 8-7 Van Gerwen

LEG 14
A 14-darter from van Gerwen, aided by his fifth maximum of the match and visits of 140 and 134, sees him move to within two legs of Wright once more.
Wright 8-6 Van Gerwen 

LEG 13
It's all very well van Gerwen turning up now but Wright is still only four away from the finishing line and a fourth 180 puts him in control of leg he goes on to take.
Wright 8-5 Van Gerwen 

LEG 12
MVG follows up a 140 with his third 180 of the match to leave 181, which he finishes in his next five ruthless darts to further cut the deficit. This is much more like it from van Gerwen, who is now averaging 102.
Wright 7-5 Van Gerwen

LEG 11 - Wright throwing first
Sure enough, MVG blasts back out of the blocks to break Wright by taking out 67 in two darts and win his second leg on the trot.
Wright 7-4 Van Gerwen

INTERVAL
Peter Wright, who was a dart away from defeat against Phil Taylor, has saved his best for when it really matters - but can he finish the job? He's averaging 105.51 compared to van Gerwen's 99.18 while he's managed three 180s to MVG's two. They key has been the finishing - or rather van Gerwen's wastefulness - but as we all know, the Dutchman  is more than capable of turning any match around.

LEG 10
Wright threatens another break of throw with a 180 at his first visit but van Gerwen holds it together to deliver a 14-darter as he gives himself a glimmer of hope.
Wright 7-3 Van Gerwen 

LEG NINE
Wright's visits of 123, 81, 100 and 177 see him take control of the leg before his second attempt at double 10 goes in to take a further step towards the biggest victory of his career.
Wright 7-2 Van Gerwen 

LEG EIGHT
A timley maximum from Wright sets up 41, which he takes out in two darts with van Gerwen way back on 160. This really is a stunning performance from Snakebite against all the odds.
Wright 6-2 Van Gerwen 

LEG SEVEN
Van Gerwen stops the rot by taking out 80 in two darts - but only after Snakebite missed double 16 - and now he'll look to kick on from here.
Wright 5-2 Van Gerwen

LEG SIX
The Dutchman is struggling to work his way through the gears, averaging a very average 97 for his usual high standards. His finishing skills are also deserting him as he misses two darts at double 16 to let Wright in for double seven.
Wright 5-1 Van Gerwen  

LEG FIVE
Wright is now bookies favourite to win as he restores his three-leg lead thanks largely to a wasteful van Gerwen missing a dart at double four.
Wright 4-1 Van Gerwen 

LEG FOUR
Van Gerwen quickly responds with his first maximum of the match before further scores of 139, 58 and 92 set him up for a successful finish from 32 with two darts.
Wright 3-1 Van Gerwen 

LEG THREE
A 14-dart leg sees Wright surge further ahead, with van Gerwen stranded on 167, and all of a sudden the world number one has plenty of work to do.
Wright 3-0 Van Gerwen  

LEG TWO
Snakebite is making a flying start against a man he defeated 6-0 in a recent European Tour final, as he takes advantagee of three missed darts from the Dutchman to break the throw on double 16.
Wright 2-0 Van Gerwen  

LEG ONE
Snakebite is making a flying start against a man he defeated 6-0 in a recent European Tour final, as he takes advantagee of three missed darts from the Dutchman to break the throw on double 16.
Wright 2-0 Van Gerwen 

LEG ONE - Wright to throw first
Peter Wright may still be recovering from his tense semi-final over Phil Taylor but he's settled any early nerves by landing an 180 en route to holding throw on double tops at the third attempt.
Wright 1-0 Van Gerwen

Final: Match Stats

Three-dart averages
Wright: 101.06
Van Gerwen: 104.76

SCORING
100+ thrown
Wright: 29
Van Gerwen: 21

140+ thrown
Wright: 18
Van Gerwen: 10

180 thrown
Wright: 6
Van Gerwen: 9

CHECKOUTS
100+ checkouts
Wright: N/A (Highest: 96)
Van Gerwen: N/A (Highest: 94)

Checkout percentage
Wright: 40% (10/25)
Van Gerwen: 44% (11/25)

Pre-match build up

Michael van Gerwen is 1/4 favourite to retain his Premier League Darts title while Peter Wright can be backed at 3/1 following that mentally draining semi-final win over Phil Taylor.

Sky Bet's Price Boost is MVG to win, hit the highest checkout and score more 180s than Wright at 9/4 from 7/4.

Click here to place your bets!

Here below, we assess their head-to-head records... 

Overall
Van Gerwen 45 wins, Wright 11 wins, 2 draws

Last 10
Van Gerwen 6 wins, Wright 3 wins, 1 draw

Premier League meetings in 2017
Peter Wright 3-7 Michael van Gerwen - Week 2
Michael van Gerwen 6-6 Peter Wright - Week 11

Other meetings in 2017
Van Gerwen 0-6 Wright - European Darts GP, F
Van Gerwen 6-1 Wright - Players Championship 6, F
Van Gerwen 3-6 Wright - German Darts Championship, F
Van Gerwen 6-3 Wright - UK Open Qualifier 4, QF
Van Gerwen 4-6 Wright - UK Open Qualifier 3, QF

Michael van Gerwen
Age: 28
Tournaments won in 2017: Six (including the world title)
Premier League Play-Offs record: Winner (2013, 2016), Runner-up (2014, 2015)

Not only has Michael van Gerwen topped the Premier League regular season table in each of his five campaigns, but he's now never failed to reach the final of the play-offs after seeing off Gary Anderson in the first semi-final.

He beat Phil Taylor to win the title in his debut season back in 2013 before suffering back-to-back defeats to Raymond van Barneveld and Anderson to take the runners-up trophy.

He reclaimed the crown during his incredible season of dominance in 2016 by thrashing Taylor and he will now meet Peter Wright.

Although the world champion remains an understanable odds-on favourite after he again scooped the league leaders' bonus of £25,000 last Thursday night, there have been occasional dips in his form this season - including a 6-0 defeat to Wright in a European Tour event - so this could give Snakebite hope at the O2. 

Peter Wright
Age: 47
Tournaments won in 2017: 7
Premier League Play-offs record: First appearence

Peter Wright is no spring chicken at the age of 47, but he's finally reaching the peak of his powers as he targets the biggest title of his career tonight.

Snakebite ended his long wait for a major televised title at the UK Open earlier this year and since then he's gone from strength to strength on the PDC Tour, with more tournament triumphs than any other player in 2017.

He ended a 16-match losing streak against MVG en route to one of those wins before defeating the Dutchman in a tournament final for the first time in his career (at the 10th attempt no less) to land the German Darts Championship.

Wright layed down another marker by thrashing the Dutchman 6-0 in the final of the European Darts Grand Prix before pushing him all the way in pursuit of the league leaders' bonus.

And having finished runner-up, he was a worthy second favourite behind the world number one ahead of his first appearence in the play-offs having failed to qualify in his previous three seasons. Now he has a shot at the big one.

Semi-Final 2: Peter Wright 10-9 Phil Taylor

Phil Taylor's hopes of a fairytale seventh Premier League title in his final season before retirement are over after an agonising 10-9 defeat to Peter Wright.

He said: "I'm fine - I had my chances and didn't take them. The crowd gave me so much inspiration, and it was just a couple of shots that I missed, that's all.

"I went in front and then went nervous - I could feel my heart beating - maybe because it's my last one. Peter was the better player, I can't fault him; he held his bottle and hit the right shot at the right time." 

Leg-by-leg recap & statistics

Best of 19 legs

LEG 19
So there will be no fairytale Premier League finish for Taylor as Wright runs away with the deciding leg before nailing double 10 for a 10-9 victory which earns him a place in tonight's final against Michael van Gerwen.
Wright 10-9 Taylor  

LEG 18
Wright misses the bullseye as he attempts to take out 81 but Taylor fails to capitalise with missed dart for double top. Snakebite, who is being booed by the pro-Taylor supporters, returns to the oche with single nine and double eight to level the scores. He will throw first in the deciding leg.
Wright 9-9 Taylor  

LEG 17
Taylor is still beating himself up about those blown chances in previous legs but puts it behind him to hold firm on double 18 and break the Wright throw. Can he now hold for a place in the final?
Wright 8-9 Taylor  

LEG 16
Nerves are affecting both players in this pulsating semi-final but mostly Taylor as he misses another six darts at a double to let Wright off the hook for his earlier miss at double 16.
Wright 8-8 Taylor 

LEG 15
A superb 134 from 166 sets up double 16 for Taylor, who had earlier fired his fifth 180 of the match, and after Wright fails to take out 101 the Power returns to finish at the third attempt.
Wright 7-8 Taylor

LEG 14
All of a sudden the euphoria surrounding Taylor disappears as he spurns six darts from 32 to open up a two-leg lead as Wright follows up a fine set up of 170 to take out double eight at the first attempt.
Wright 7-7 Taylor 

LEG 13
An enormous roar erupts around the O2 as Taylor hits double eight after missing out on a bullseye finish at his previous visit to move into a 7-6 lead and suddenly it's Wright struggling for top form.
Wright 6-7 Taylor  

LEG 12
After solid scoring from both players puts them both at a finish, Wright hits treble 20 and single 16 to leave tops from 116 but he misses his chance to break back and Taylor responds from 79 to level the scores for the first time.
Wright 6-6 Taylor  

LEG 11 - Wright throwing first
Taylor finds two 180s in the leg to leave 42 and converts with a superb 12-dart leg to break Wright's throw and move to within one leg.
Wright 6-5 Taylor 

INTERVAL
Having trailed 4-0 and then seen Wright miss a dart for a 7-3 lead, it could be a lot worse for Taylor, who is beginning to score much better after a very slow start. The Power is averaging up at 99.07 now compared to Wright's mark of 104.43 while the pair have both landed two 180s apiece. The Scotsman has hit six of his 15 attempts at doubles (40%), with Taylor doing slightly better perecentage-wise at four from seven (57.14%). 

LEG 10
Wright spurns one dart at double tops for a 96 checkout in a high-quality leg which Taylor then snatches on double 16 to stay within touching distance of Snakebite. Can he roll back the years after the interval?
Wright 6-4 Taylor  

LEG NINE
For the fourth time in this Premier League season, Wright takes out 120 under immense pressure with Taylor agonisingly waiting on 32 following visits of 100, 174 and 140, as he lands a decisive blow in this second semi-final.
Wright 6-3 Taylor 

LEG EIGHT
This is more like it from Taylor. His second 180 of the match, supported by visits of 100 and 140 sets up an 11-dart leg, which is achieved by taking out 81 with a treble 19 and double 12.
Wright 5-3 Taylor 

LEG SEVEN
Wright, aided by a bounce-out for Taylor, comfortably holds his throw to halt Taylor's fightback for the time being at least. He's also upped his average back up to 102 after it dipped below 100.
Wright 5-2 Taylor

LEG SIX
Wright's performance-level has dipped over the past two legs but Taylor initially fails to capitalise as he fails to checkout from 66, missing double 20. Snakebite then no scores with three attempts at double 12, alloweing Taylor to hit tops for his first hold of throw.
Wright 4-2 Taylor

LEG FIVE
Taylor misses his first two attempts at a double in the match but finally gets a leg on the board - and breaking the Wright throw in the process - by taking out double nine. So a glimmer of hope for the Power's supporters.
Wright 4-1 Taylor

LEG FOUR
The dream Premier League finale for Taylor is looking increasingly unlikely as he continues to average in the low 90s compared to Wright up at 111 until he misses four darts for the leg. Snakebite finally hits double six to establish a commanding lead.
Wright 4-0 Taylor 

LEG THREE
Wright dominates on his own throw with visits of 135 and two 140s and at this early stage he's averaging around 110. He takes out 45 for a comfortable hold while Taylor is yet to have a dart at a double.
Wright 3-0 Taylor  

LEG TWO
A sloppy start from Taylor is seized upon by Wright, who takes control with a 140 and a 177 before hitting double 12 to break.
Wright 2-0 Taylor 

LEG ONE - Wright to throw first
Taylor brings the fans to their feet with a maximum at his first visit but Snakebite responds with one of his own and reaches a finish first, albeit 121. He can only leave 38 but Taylor fails to finish from 97 and Wright takes full advantage to settle the nerves.
Wright 1-0 Taylor

Semi-Final 2 Match Stats

Three-dart averages
Wright: 100.04
Taylor: 97.62

SCORING
100+ thrown
Wright: 25
Taylor: 24

140+ thrown
Wright: 24
Taylor: 17

180 thrown
Wright: 3
Taylor: 6

CHECKOUTS
100+ checkouts
Wright: 120
Taylor: N/A (Highest: 81)

Checkout percentage
Wright: 43.48% (10/23)
Taylor: 30% (9/30)

Pre-match build up

Click here to read what both players said ahead of finals night 

Snakebite, who is playing in his first play-offs, is 8/15 favourite to end the hopes of former six-time champion Phil Taylor in the second semi-final and 4/1 to claim the title.

The Power is 6/4 to beat Wright and 8/1 to live out a fairytale finish to his final Premier League season before retirement by getting his hands on the trophy for the first time since 2012.

Sky Bet's Price Boost is Peter Wright to win, hit the highest checkout and score more 180s than Taylor at 3/1 from 2/1. 

Click here to place your bets!

Here below, we profile both players and asses their head-to-head records and season statistics... 

Phil Taylor
Age: 56
Tournaments won in 2017: 0
Premier League Play-offs record: Winner (2005-2008, 2010, 2012), Runner-up (2013, 2016), Semi-Finals (2009, 2011, 2014)

Six-time champion Phil Taylor is taking part in the Premier League Darts play-offs for the 13th time in 14 seasons - but he's not lifted the title since 2012.

Last year's crushing 11-3 defeat to Michael van Gerwen in the final hurt him but he's incredibly managed to beat the current world number one five times in their seven matches since then so that will give him plenty of belief should they meet again on Thursday night.

One of those victories, during the regular season two weeks ag0, effectively sealed his play-off spot and now he fittingly has a chance to get his hands on the trophy for the final time before he retires at the end of 2017.

Peter Wright
Age: 47
Tournaments won in 2017: 7
Premier League Play-offs record: First appearence

Peter Wright is no spring chicken at the age of 47, but he's finally reaching the peak of his powers as he targets the biggest title of his career on Thursday night.

Snakebite ended his long wait for a major televised title at the UK Open earlier this year and since then he's gone from strength to strength on the PDC Tour, with more tournament triumphs than any other player in 2017.

He ended a 16-match losing streak against MVG en route to one of those wins before defeating the Dutchman in a tournament final for the first time in his career (at the 10th attempt no less) to land the German Darts Championship.

Wright layed down another marker by thrashing the Dutchman 6-0 in the final of the European Darts Grand Prix before pushing him all the way in pursuit of the league leaders' bonus.

And having finished runner-up, he is a worthy second favourite behind the world number one ahead of his first appearence in the play-offs having failed to qualify in his previous three seasons. 

HEAD-TO-HEAD RECORDS

Overall
Wright 9 wins, Taylor 20 wins, 3 draws

Last 10
Wright 4 wins, Taylor 5 wins, 1 draw

Premier League meetings in 2017
Peter Wright 5-7 Phil Taylor - Week 8
Phil Taylor 3-7 Peter Wright - Week 13

Other meetings in 2017
Taylor 10-5 Wright - Masters QF

PREMIER LEAGUE 2017 KEY STATISTICS

Finishing position and record
2. Wright P 16 W 10 D 3 L 3 LD +30 Pts 23
3.  Taylor P 16 W 8 D 3 L 5 LD +7 Pts 19
Click for all the results and weekly reports/stats

Overall three-dart average
Peter Wright: 98.86
Phil Taylor: 98.15

180s thrown
Peter Wright: 46
Phil Taylor: 37

Finishing percentage
Phil Taylor: 40.17% (92/229)
Peter Wright: 38.89% (91/234)

Ton + checkouts
Peter Wright: (14) 156, 125, 121, 120, 120, 120, 116, 116, 116, 116, 116, 115, 108, 104
Phil Taylor: (9) 142, 121, 121, 121, 120, 118, 112, 110, 104 

Semi-final 1: Michael van Gerwen 10-7 Gary Anderson

Best of 19 legs

LEG 17
Van Gerwen misses his first match dart at double 10 but with Anderson unable to take out 161, the Dutchman returns to hit double five as he books his place in the final against either Peter Wright or Phil Taylor.
MVG 10-7 Anderson  

LEG 16
MVG is at his most clinical once again, this time checking out from 88 in two darts (treble 20 and double 14) to break the Anderson throw and move one away from a place in the final.
MVG 9-7 Anderson  

LEG 15
Anderson narrowly misses bullseye to break the throw of van Gerwen, who then shows real mental strength and quality to take out 74 in two darts (treble 14 and then double 16).
MVG 8-7 Anderson 

LEG 14
Anderson is loving tops at the moment and nails it once again for a 13-dart leg which comfortably sees him level the scores once more. But can he get himself ahead at this most crucial stage of the match?
MVG 7-7 Anderson

LEG 13
A checkout from 82 seals a comfortable leg for van Gerwen, who kicked it off with back-to-back 140s and was never under pressure.
MVG 7-6 Anderson  

LEG 12
Anderson rattles in scores of 135, 177 and 130 to set up 60, which he takes out clinically for an 11-dart leg.
MVG 6-6 Anderson  

LEG 11
Van Gerwen re-starts this semi-final with his third 180 and although Anderson applies pressure with two 140s, the Dutchman takes out double eight for an important 14-dart hold of throw.
MVG 6-5 Anderson  

Short Interval
It's been a breathless first half, with Anderson already hitting six 180s compared to MVG's two while both players have managed ton+ checkouts. Van Gerwen is averaging 100.57 - a shade higher than Anderson's 100.15. MVG is now 4/9 to win, with Anderson priced at 7/4.

LEG 10
There's no mistake from Anderson this time as he brings the crowd to its feel with a stunning 160 checkout. Could this enthralling semi-final be going the distance
MVG 5-5 Anderson  

LEG NINE
Anderson hits two treble 20s with 164 remaining only to realise he's miscounted and although he's still well placed on 40, MVG checks outs out from 112 with treble 20, 12 and double tops.
MVG 5-4 Anderson 

LEG EIGHT
MVG looks on course for a crucial break but he misses two darts at a double (16 & 8) before watching Anderson take full advantage by hitting double 18 at the first attempt.
MVG 4-4 Anderson 

LEG SEVEN
Van Gerwen dominates the leg, with the help of a timely 180, but nearly allows Anderson back in with three missed darts at the double. But he then nails double eight to edge ahead once more, with Anderson waiting on 80.
MVG 4-3 Anderson  

LEG SIX
The Scotsman follows up his break with a 180 at the start of the sixth leg and ends it by taking out 81 - the highest checkout of the match so far - to restore parity.
MVG 3-3 Anderson 

LEG FIVE
Anderson finally hits double tops to break back and keep the world number one, who missed a chance to go 4-1 up, in his sights
MVG 3-2 Anderson 

LEG FOUR
Van Gerwen moves two clear after clinically taking out 59 to break Anderson, who missed tops for the second leg in a row. The Flying Scotsman should be 3-1 up himself.
MVG 3-1 Anderson

LEG THREE
Anderson's second 180 leaves him 110 but he misses his only dart at double top as MVG holds his throw.
MVG 2-1 Anderson

LEG TWO
Van Gerwen nails his first 180 during a dominant leg against the throw as he levels the scores with an 11-darter. Superb standard to kick-off Finals Night.
MVG 1-1 Anderson

LEG ONE - MVG to throw first
Anderson responds to MVG's opening 140 with a maximum as he targets an early break. Two 140s follow for the Scotsman before he takes out 41 for a 12-dart leg.
MVG 0-1 Anderson

Semi-Final 1 Match Stats

Three-dart averages
Van Gerwen: 102.22
Anderson: 102.68

SCORING
100+ thrown
Van Gerwen: 15
Anderson: 14

140+ thrown
Van Gerwen: 14
Anderson: 14

180 thrown
Van Gerwen: 4
Anderson: 7

CHECKOUTS
100+ checkouts
Van Gerwen: 112
Anderson: 160

Checkout percentage
Van Gerwen: 50% (10/20)
Anderson: 63.64% (7/11)

Pre-match build up

Click here to read what both players said ahead of finals night 

World number one Michael van Gerwen is unsurprisingly Sky Bet's odds-on favourite - as he has been all season - at 8/15 to defend his Premier League title having topped the regular season table.

He will meet world number two Gary Anderson, who he beat in Birmingham last Thursday to consign the Scotsman to fourth place, in the semi-finals and you can back him at 2/7 to advance.

Anderson is 11/4 to avenge that defeat while he's 11/2 third favourite behind Peter Wright to become champion for the third time. 

Here below, we profile both players and asses their head-to-head records and season statistics...

Michael van Gerwen
Age: 28
Tournaments won in 2017: Six (including the world title)
Premier League Play-Offs record: Winner (2013, 2016), Runner-up (2014, 2015)

Not only has Michael van Gerwen topped the Premier League regular season table in each of his five campaigns, but he's never failed to reach the final of the play-offs.

He beat Phil Taylor to win the title in his debut season back in 2013 before suffering back-to-back defeats to Raymond van Barneveld and Gary Anderson to take the runners-up trophy.

He reclaimed the crown during his incredible season of dominance in 2016 by thrashing Taylor and he could well meet the Power once again should he get past the man who beat him in the 2015 final.

Although the world champion remains an understanable odds-on favourite after he again scooped the league leaders' bonus of £25,000 last Thursday night, there have been occasional dips in his form this season - including a 6-0 defeat to Peter Wright in a European Tour event - so this could give his rivals hope at the O2.

Gary Anderson
Age: 46
Tournaments won in 2017: Two
Premier League Play-offs record: Winner (2011, 2015), Semi-finals (2014, 2016)

Just like MVG, Gary Anderson won the Premier League Darts title at his first attempt in 2011 and that proved to be the catalyst for what has been a stellar career in the PDC.

The two-time world champion then defeated the Dutchman to claim his second Premier League crown four years later to further demonstrate his ability to peak when it really matters.

Having failed to retain his Premier League and world titles in the last 12 months, the Flying Scotsman will be determined to get one over on van Gerwen in the semi-finals on Thursday and should he succeed, then he'll surely head into a clash with either Phil Taylor or Peter Wright as favourite.  

HEAD-TO-HEAD RECORDS

Overall
Van Gerwen 27 wins, Anderson 14 wins, 2 draws

Last 10
Van Gerwen 7 wins, Anderson 2 wins, 1 draw

Premier League meetings in 2017
Gary Anderson 6-6 Michael van Gerwen - Week 1
Michael van Gerwen 7-4 Gary Anderson - Week 15

Other meetings in 2017 (leg play unless stated)
Van Gerwen 4-6 Anderson - Players Championship 10, L16
Van Gerwen 6-4 Anderson - Players Championship 9, L16
Van Gerwen 6-3 Anderson - UK Open Qualifier 4, F
Van Gerwen 11-7 Anderson - Masters, F
Van Gerwen 7-3 Anderson (sets) - World Championship, F

PREMIER LEAGUE 2017 KEY STATISTICS

Finishing position and record
1. MVG P 16 W 10 D 4 L 2 LD +32 Pts 24
4. Anderson P 16 W 7 D 4 L 5 LD +12 Pts 18
Click for all the results and weekly reports/stats

Overall three-dart average
Michael van Gerwen: 104.68
Gary Anderson: 102.16

180s thrown
Michael van Gerwen: 58
Gary Anderson: 53 

Finishing percentage
Michael van Gerwen: 41.13% ( 102/248)
Gary Anderson: 39.91% (91/228)

Ton + checkouts
Gary Anderson: (15) 170, 161, 147, 145, 143, 132, 130, 130, 126, 121, 119, 114, 110, 108, 104
Michael van Gerwen: (7) 170, 138, 124, 116, 109, 108, 102