Premier League Darts: Five Greatest Finals as 4/1 shot Michael van Gerwen eyes up tenth showpiece appearance

As we edge towards the conclusion of this year's Premier League Darts, we recall five of the competition's most memorable finals.

2024 Premier League Darts

It's a competition that is littered with history, astronomical averages and nine-dart legs - oh, and some quite sensational Dutch dominance!

Michael van Gerwen - 4/1 to go the distance this year - is the record holder for the most victories in the event, having reigned supreme on seven occasions. In fact, he's reached the final in nine of his 11 appearances to date, and is still on course to make it ten from 12 on Thursday night.

But do any of his recent successes make our top five list of great Premier League finals? 

Of course they do... check them out below!
 

2010: Phil Taylor 10 James Wade 8

The 2010 final at Wembley Arena was one of the most incredible darting spectacles of all time. 

Phil Taylor, in his pomp and the most dominant sportsman on the planet, conjured two nine-dart finishes on his way to beating James Wade 10-8.

Wade played well against The Power, but Taylor averaged a remarkable 111.67 to win a fifth Premier League title. 

Taylor is the only player in Premier League history to produce a nine-dart finish in the final. 

It was 7-7 in legs when Taylor delivered his second nine-darter, and ultimately proved decisive in the late swing of momentum which captured 'The Power' the title.
 

2013: Michael van Gerwen 10 Phil Taylor 8

By 2013, the rivalry between Van Gerwen and Taylor was intensifying.

The Dutchman arriving on the scene as a generational talent ready to dethrone the king of arrows.

The pair met in the Premier League final at the O2 Arena and it was a real ding-dong affair. 

Taylor had the superior three-dart average (104.10 to Van Gerwen's 103.29), but Mighty Mike held his nerve at key moments to edge over the line 10-8 and become Premier League champion for the first time.
 

2017: Michael van Gerwen 11 Peter Wright 10

Peter Wright turned up for the 2017 final at the O2 knowing that he needed to play extremely well to stop defending champion Van Gerwen retaining the Premier League crown.

Wright dug deep to deliver a 101.06 average - Snakebite gave everything he had - but Van Gerwen was in his golden period of apparent invincibility and the Dutch darting dynamo held his nerve in a final-leg decider.
 

2018: Michael van Gerwen 11 Michael Smith 4

The 2018 final was one-sided, but is memorable for the levels reached by MVG. 

The former world number one had a staggering average of 112.37 in the final, crushing Michael Smith 11-4.

There were 40 180s hit on playoffs night at the O2 Arena - during the semi-finals and final - and 16 of them were delivered by the Dutchman. 

It was a night when it seemed inevitable that he would dominate darts for years to come.
 

2022: Michael van Gerwen 11 Joe Cullen 10

When Van Gerwen found himself in yet another final in 2022 - he has reached the last two of this competition nine times - he probably expected an easy ride against surprise finalist Joe Cullen.

RockStar was not prepared to surrender, though, and pushed his illustrious opponent all the way to a final-leg decider. 

The 2022 event was the first Premier League final to be played overseas - at the Mercedes-Benz Arena in Berlin - and the German crowd were treated to a classic.

Cullen missed a dart at double 16 which would have won him the title. 

He would have become the third debutant in a row to win the title at their first attempt, following victories for Glen Durrant and Jonny Clayton. Cullen missed, though, and Van Gerwen pounced.
 

All Premier League Darts Finals

2023	Michael van Gerwen beat Gerwyn Price 11-5
2022	Michael van Gerwen beat Joe Cullen 11-10
2021	Jonny Clayton beat Jose de Sousa 11-5
2020	Glen Durrant beat Nathan Aspinall 11-8
2019	Michael van Gerwen beat Rob Cross 11-5
2018	Michael van Gerwen beat Michael Smith 11-4
2017	Michael van Gerwen beat Peter Wright 11-10
2016	Michael van Gerwen beat Phil Taylor 11-3
2015	Gary Anderson beat Michael van Gerwen 11-7
2014	Raymond van Barneveld beat Michael van Gerwen 10-6
2013	Michael van Gerwen beat Phil Taylor 10-8
2012	Phil Taylor beat Simon Whitlock 10-7
2011	Gary Anderson beat Adrian Lewis 10-4
2010	Phil Taylor beat James Wade 10-8
2009	James Wade beat Mervyn King 13-8
2008	Phil Taylor beat James Wade 16-8
2007	Phil Taylor beat Terry Jenkins 16-6
2006	Phil Taylor beat Roland Scholten 16-6
2005	Phil Taylor beat Colin Lloyd 16-4