‘Van Gerwen is getting that winning habit again’

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Wayne Mardle believes that Michael van Gerwen’s confidence is building after claiming another Premier League in Leeds

Michael van Gerwen is returning to his ruthless best, according to Wayne Mardle. The Dutchman moved three points clear at the top of the Premier League by completing a third league night triumph of the season in Leeds on Thursday.

Van Gerwen tasted victory in Exeter and Brighton last month, and wins over Peter Wright and James Wade at the First Direct Arena earned him another £10,000 bonus.

He also sits three points clear of Jonny Clayton at the top of the league table as the race for Play-Off places intensifies.

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MVG said he could not have wished for any more after winning Night Nine in West Yorkshire

The five-time Premier League champion benefitted from a quarter-final walkover after Gary Anderson was ruled out following a positive Covid-19 test on Wednesday.

He defeated world champion Wright 6-3 in the semi-finals and then produced a scintillating display in the final to see off Wade 6-1 with a 103.87 average.

“I know there’s still more work to do but you need to keep aiming for more, and winning is the best medicine for you,” said the 32-year-old.

“The most important thing right now is being happy with how I am playing, and if the right Michael van Gerwen turns up – I know I can win.”

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Take a look at all the best moments from the Premier League darts in Leeds, where Van Gerwen dominated

Sky Sports’ pundit Mardle agrees with Van Gerwen’s assessment and feels he is getting to somewhere near the kind of form which enabled him to dominate darts and strike fear into the heart of opposition players.

Van Gerwen has enjoyed a return to winning ways in 2022 after being overtaken in the PDC Order of Merit in the past 18 months by both Gerwyn Price and ‘Snakebite’ Wright, and Mardle said: “He’s getting it [that winning habit] again and you can see that the confidence is building.

“He doesn’t have to be at his best to win. He’s getting away with these little things he wasn’t getting away with (before).

“I’m not going to say ‘MVG is BACK’, but he’s ‘back’.”

Check out daily Darts news on skysports.com/darts, our app for mobile devices and our Twitter account @skysportsdarts. We’re back for more Premier League action from the AO Arena in Manchester on Thursday, April 14 – live on Sky Sports Main Event & Sky Sports Action from 7pm.