Premier League Darts 2021: Fixtures revealed for opening nine nights of action

It will be rivalries renewed when the delayed 2021 Premier League Darts gets under way as Glen Durrant and Nathan Aspinall clash on an opening night that will also feature a repeat of the World Championship final.

Gerwyn Price claimed his first world title with victory over Gary Anderson at Alexandra Palace, and with the pair both in the 10-man field for this year’s Premier League, they will meet again on Monday April 5.

After Price’s victory over Anderson, the PDC confirmed that the traditional 17-night roadshow would be pushed back to Easter rather than its usual February date and last month it was confirmed that the tournament will begin behind closed doors due to Covid-19 restrictions.

The first nine nights will take place without a crowd at the Marshall Arena – including Judgement Night where the bottom two players in the league will be relegated – with the PDC, who has already announced the schedule for 2022’s Premier League, hopeful of confirming the final eight nights in the coming weeks.

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Premier League Darts 2021: Night One fixtures

Is that really me on that poster https://t.co/GfYE6gbeIk

While a repeat of the Ally Pally showpiece has become tradition, this year’s tournament will also see a repeat of last year’s Premier League final between Durrant and Aspinall who were both making their full-time debuts in the competition after 2019 saw them feature as ‘Contenders’.

Duzza took the title at the Ricoh Arena in Coventry, beating the Asp 11-8 after a 10-9 victory over Anderson earlier in the evening and they will raise the curtain on this year’s event.

Format

The opening nine nights will see the 10 players face each other once in the round-robin phase.

Games will be the best of 12 legs – first to seven, or a six-all draw.

Players receive two points for a win and one point for a draw.

There are no invited players this year with the tournament reverting to its 2018 format of 10 players competing to avoid elimination and make the play-offs but three players will be featuring for the first time, hopeful of emulating Durrant.

World Matchplay champion Dimitri Van den Bergh will kick off his campaign against five-time Premier League winner Michael van Gerwen, who last season failed to make the final four for the first time.

Masters winner Jonny Clayton will take on Peter Wright before meeting his World Cup-winning Wales team-mate Price on Night Eight, while the Grand Slam of Darts champion Jose De Sousa – the only player with no Premier League experience – starts against Rob Cross.

Last year’s Premier League began with six nights on the road – including the last full crowd in attendance at a darts night on March 12 in Liverpool. After resuming in Milton Keynes for 10 nights across August and September, the Play-Offs took place in Coventry in October.

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2021 Unibet Premier League – Nights 1-9 fixtures

Night One – Monday April 5

Nathan Aspinall vs Glen Durrant

Rob Cross vs Jose de Sousa

Peter Wright vs Jonny Clayton

Gerwyn Price vs Gary Anderson

Michael van Gerwen vs Dimitri Van den Bergh

Night Two – Tuesday April 6

Gary Anderson vs Jose de Sousa

Jonny Clayton vs Glen Durrant

Dimitri Van den Bergh vs Nathan Aspinall

Michael van Gerwen vs Peter Wright

Gerwyn Price vs Rob Cross

Premier League Darts – Roll of Honour

Night Three – Wednesday April 7

Rob Cross vs Michael van Gerwen

Glen Durrant vs Dimitri Van den Bergh

Peter Wright vs Gary Anderson

Nathan Aspinall vs Gerwyn Price

Jose de Sousa vs Jonny Clayton

Night Four – Thursday April 8

Dimitri Van den Bergh vs Peter Wright

Jonny Clayton vs Rob Cross

Jose de Sousa vs Nathan Aspinall

Gerwyn Price vs Michael van Gerwen

Gary Anderson vs Glen Durrant

Night Five – Friday April 9

Gary Anderson vs Jonny Clayton

Peter Wright vs Rob Cross

Michael van Gerwen vs Nathan Aspinall

Gerwyn Price vs Glen Durrant

Dimitri Van den Bergh vs Jose de Sousa

Night Six – Monday April 19

Rob Cross vs Gary Anderson

Jose de Sousa vs Gerwyn Price

Jonny Clayton vs Dimitri Van den Bergh

Glen Durrant vs Michael van Gerwen

Nathan Aspinall vs Peter Wright

Night Seven – Tuesday April 20

Glen Durrant vs Jose de Sousa

Rob Cross vs Dimitri Van den Bergh

Nathan Aspinall vs Jonny Clayton

Peter Wright vs Gerwyn Price

Michael van Gerwen vs Gary Anderson

Night Eight – Wednesday April 21

Rob Cross vs Nathan Aspinall

Gary Anderson vs Dimitri Van den Bergh

Michael van Gerwen vs Jose de Sousa

Gerwyn Price vs Jonny Clayton

Peter Wright vs Glen Durrant

Judgement Night – Thursday April 22

Jonny Clayton vs Michael van Gerwen

Glen Durrant vs Rob Cross

Jose de Sousa vs Peter Wright

Nathan Aspinall vs Gary Anderson

Dimitri Van den Bergh vs Gerwyn Price

Watch live coverage of the 2021 Premier League on Sky Sports – the action gets under way on Monday April 5 with five consecutive nights of action from the Marshall Arena, Milton Keynes.

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