Aspinall ready to seal his O2 place in Sheffield Showdown “There is still pressure on my shoulders, but there’s even more pressure on Michael”

On Thursday, the last night of league action in Sheffield, Nathan Aspinall and Michael van Gerwen will compete for a spot in the BetMGM Premier League Play-Off.

Aspinall and Van Gerwen will compete to join Luke Littler, Luke Humphries, and Gerwyn Price in the season-ending Play-Offs on May 22, the last night of the 2025 league phase, at the Utilita Arena.

Last Thursday, Aspinall overcame Van Gerwen his route to winning a pivotal nightly victory in Aberdeen, giving him a four-point lead over the Dutch superstar going into Night 16.

Aspinall is aware that a victory would guarantee his spot at The O2 in London on Thursday, May 29, when the two rekindle their rivalry in Sheffield’s second quarterfinal.

In both of the previous seasons, the Stockport star missed out on Play-Off qualification on the last night of league phase action after finishing fifth.

But Aspinall has won four of his five Premier League encounters with Van Gerwen, and he will guarantee his Play-Off spot if he wins five out of six.

“There is still pressure on my shoulders, but there’s even more pressure on Michael,” claimed Aspinall, who also prevailed on Night Ten in Manchester last month.

“The job is not done yet and I alluded to that last Thursday. Everybody knows what is at stake and what I need to do.

“I’ve got a few dreams in life – I want to be World Champion, I want to play for England, and I want to play at The O2.

“I’ve got an opportunity to achieve one of these dreams on Thursday night, but I’ve got to finish the job off now.”

Although he has an uphill battle to guarantee a spot in the top four this time, Van Gerwen has only missed the Play-Offs once in his last 12 Premier League games.

After losing back-to-back quarterfinal matches in the past two weeks, the seven-time champion needs to secure his first evening victory of the season in order to surpass Aspinall.

Since he defeated Aspinall, Michael Smith, and Littler to win in Birmingham in April 2024, Van Gerwen has not won a Premier League game every night.

However, as he sets his sights on triumph in the Steel City, the three-time World Champion hopes to capitalise on his wealth of experience.

“I hope I can use that [experience], because I think I’m going to need it,” quipped Van Gerwen – the most successful player in BetMGM Premier League history.

“Of course it’s going to be a massive night for me, and I can’t afford to fail again, or I will be out of the tournament.

“This is probably one of the hardest Premier League’s I have ever played in – not in terms of players, but in terms of myself.

“It has been a real battle, but I’ve had a good combination of rest and practice over the last few days to make sure I’m ready to do what I need to do tomorrow.

“It is so important to keep believing in yourself, and that is what I’m still doing!”

In Sheffield, reigning champion Littler will also be the main attraction on Night 16 as the World Champion attempts to make Premier League history by taking on Stephen Bunting.

Littler advanced to the semi-finals in Aberdeen last Thursday, securing the top slot for the second year in a row after defeating Humphries in an amazing match with an average of 116.

The World Champion has already tied his 2024 score of 40 points, and a win over Bunting would set a new point total for the teenager.

The world number one will face Rob Cross in the first round of his Night 16 challenge, while Humphries will conclude the league phase in second place.

Humphries has won a hat-trick of nightly titles in Leeds, Exeter, and Belfast, whereas Cross is the only player in this year’s roadshow who hasn’t previously appeared in a nightly final.

In South Yorkshire, Price and Chris Dobey will also face off, with Price hoping to secure a third-place result.

The Welshman, who finished second in the Premier League in 2023, has had a pleasant comeback in recent months, winning in Liverpool, Nottingham, and Dublin to guarantee his second Play-Off spot.

Although Dobey, who is presently sixth in the table, won their head-to-head battle in the tournament’s first match back in February, Price has won each of their following three meetings.

Aspinall ready to seal his O2 place in Sheffield Showdown

2025 BetMGM Premier League

Night 16 – Thursday May 22

Utilita Arena, Sheffield

Quarter-Finals

Luke Littler v Stephen Bunting

Nathan Aspinall v Michael van Gerwen

Luke Humphries v Rob Cross

Gerwyn Price v Chris Dobey

Semi-Finals

Littler/Bunting v Aspinall/Van Gerwen

Humphries/Cross v Price/Dobey

Final

v

All matches best of 11 legs