Premier League 2020: What does each player need in the final two nights to reach the Play-Offs?

It has been a Premier League campaign that nobody could have predicted.

Debutant Glen Durrant is on the verge of topping the final league table, while five-time champion Michael van Gerwen could miss out on the Play-Offs entirely.

It will all be decided over the next two nights, as the final two league-phase rounds of matches takes place in Milton Keynes.

But what is at stake for each player ahead of Friday’s action? And what do they need to reach the Play-Offs?

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Glen Durrant

Remaining matches: Peter Wright, Nathan Aspinall

As it stands: The three-time Lakeside champion has already wrapped up his play-off spot, but now he is eyeing up a bigger prize. The Middlesbrough-native is well-placed to become just the third player to top the Premier League table, after Phil Taylor and Michael van Gerwen – esteemed company!

What he needs: He is two points clear of Gary Anderson, and holds a significantly greater leg-difference, which counts as a de facto extra point. One more win would guarantee him top spot.

Gary Anderson

Remaining matches: Michael van Gerwen, Gerwyn Price

As it stands: ‘The Flying Scotsman’ is the only other player in the field who can still top the table. But he still has work to do in order to secure his spot at The O2, albeit not a huge amount. He sits four points clear of Van Gerwen in fifth place, with a favourable leg difference.

What he needs: One point will seal his play-off spot. He could still even take a top-four berth with two losses, if Nathan Aspinall or ‘MVG’ drop any points. In order to top the pile, he needs to find three more points than Durrant over the two remaining nights.

Peter Wright

Remaining matches: Glen Durrant, Michael Smith

As it stands: The reigning world champion is well-placed in third, but still has a job to do. He sits one point ahead of ‘The Asp’ and ‘The Green Machine’.

What he needs: Three points from his last two games would send ‘Snakebite’ to The O2. Two points also would be enough if Aspinall or MVG dropped a point. Anything less, and he is at the mercy of the chasing pack’s results.

Nathan Aspinall

Remaining matches: Daryl Gurney, Glen Durrant

As it stands: The Asp is right in the thick of the scrap to finish in the top four. Sitting in fourth place, he could finish as high as second, or as low as seventh.

What he needs: This is when things get complicated. It is mathematically possible that two wins could see him drop out of the top four. But he could also qualify with less. To put it simply, he needs to better the results of MVG and also stay ahead of Gerwyn Price. If one of the chasing pack overtakes him, he can still qualify by leap-frogging Wright.

Michael van Gerwen

Remaining matches: Gary Anderson, Daryl Gurney

As it stands: MVG’s patchy form since the restart sees him in the middle of the dogfight, sandwiched between Wright and Price in the table, and level with Aspinall.

What he needs: Similar to Aspinall, it is not entirely clear-cut for the Dutchman. He needs to reel in The Asp or Snakebite over the next two nights, while keeping Price at bay. Two wins would likely do the trick.

Gerwyn Price

Remaining matches: Michael Smith, Gary Anderson

As it stands: The Welshman sits one point behind the world No 1 and the Stockport-native, but crucially boasts a leg difference of +10.

What he needs: ‘The Iceman’ faces Michael Smith on Friday night, and it is a must-win tie for the two players; even a draw would be a setback for both. He can reach a maximum of 18 points; but needs other results to go his way.

Michael Smith

Remaining matches: Gerwyn Price, Peter Wright

As it stands: The 2018 runner-up suffered a heavy defeat to Anderson on Thursday night; a result which was a significant blow to his play-off hopes.

What he needs: To put it simply, Smith needs two wins. Even at that, other results will need to work out in his favour.

Daryl Gurney

Remaining matches: Nathan Aspinall, Michael van Gerwen

As it stands: Gurney is out of the hunt for the play-off spots.

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