The 2025 Premier League Darts season rolls into Sheffield this Thursday, May 22, with the Utilita Arena playing host to a final league night that promises more drama than a Big Brother eviction. With Luke Littler, Luke Humphries, and Gerwyn Price already securing their Play-Off passes, the last remaining spot in the final four is being fiercely contested by Nathan Aspinall and Michael van Gerwen.
It’s a straight shoot-out of sorts. Aspinall, sitting in fourth place with 24 points, has the edge over van Gerwen’s 20. But here's where it gets interesting: the two face each other in the quarter-finals, and the maths couldn’t be simpler. If van Gerwen beats Aspinall and goes on to win the night (bagging five points), he leapfrogs his rival and snatches the final Play-Off spot. Any other result, and it’s Nathan heading to London’s O2 next week while Michael misses out for the second consecutive year.
For most players, that’s a tall order. For van Gerwen? Well, he's made an entire career out of being the last man standing. Seven-time Premier League champ. Countless titles. And a CV so stuffed with trophies it’s surprising his dart case doesn’t buckle under the weight of expectation. It’s not often you back against MVG when he’s got nothing to lose and everything to throw at it. Pressure? He eats it for breakfast - and probably bullies the milk.
Aspinall ain’t for curdling though. He’s riding high after a quality win in Aberdeen last week, where he dispatched van Gerwen 6–3. The Asp is in decent form and will fancy his chances of repeating the trick, especially with that extra bit of swagger he seems to find when something's on the line. That said, his beloved Manchester United are playing in the Europa League final tonight - and let’s be honest, Nathan has far more chance of Premier League success than they do in the next few years.
Regardless of the outcome, this clash has all the ingredients of a classic: two big names, a do-or-die scenario, and one golden ticket to the big dance in London. Littler, Humphries, and Price will be watching from the wings, curious to see whether they’ll face a slightly more battle-worn van Gerwen or a thoroughly relieved Aspinall.
So, will MVG pull off the great escape, or will The Asp close the door and wave him goodbye? Thursday night in Sheffield might just have the answer - and if you hear a roar loud enough to scare the pigeons in Trafalgar Square, you’ll know someone’s Play-Off dream just came to life.