DARTS ACE ADMITS MVG WON’T MAKE PREM PLAYOFFS

By Aaron Nijjar

MICHAEL van Gerwen’s hope of qualifying for the Premier League playoffs is under serious threat according to Vincent van der Voort. 

Former pro Van der Voort believes Van Gerwen’s recent form simply isn’t good enough to warrant a top four finish. 

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.  

“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.  

“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.” 

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.  

‘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—fifth.  

“And this is him at rock bottom. That’s something positive to take. 

“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 favorites. Unfortunately.”