Premier League Preview – Night 14 Manchester as time is running out to pick up points.

On Night 14 of the Cazoo Premier League on Thursday, Michael Smith and Nathan Aspinall will square off as the race for Play-Off qualification heats up in Manchester.

In front of a sold-out crowd, Smith and Aspinall’s quarterfinal matchup will be the highlight of what could be a pivotal night of action at the AO Arena.

After the Stockport star won Night 12 in Rotterdam, Smith earned his second nightly victory of the year last week in Leeds, moving up to third place.

Before Thursday’s game, Aspinall is three points ahead of fifth-place Jonny Clayton, who is getting ready to play in Manchester for the first time in his Premier League career.

With only three league game nights remaining, Smith and Aspinall are separated by just one point, and the St Helens star Smith is upbeat as he attempts to secure his top-four spot.

Premier League Preview - Night 14 Manchester as time is running out to pick up points 
Premier League Preview – Night 14 Manchester as time is running out to pick up points

“I’m feeling good. I’m in pole position for the top four now,” declared the World Champion, who is eyeing Play-Off qualification for the first time since 2018.

“Since winning the World Championship and winning in Bahrain, by my standards I’ve been poor, but I played really well last week. It was a big win for me.

“I’ve got another must-win game against Nathan in Manchester, and hopefully I can get the win and put some breathing space between us.

“I feel like I’m in a decent place now. I’ve only made the Play-Offs once and I lost in the final to Michael [van Gerwen], who was ridiculous that night, so it would be nice to get back there again.”

 

Additionally, the league’s top two players, reigning champion Michael van Gerwen and current table leader Gerwyn Price, will face off in a mouthwatering quarterfinal.

After making it to the Night 13 decider in Leeds, Price officially qualified for the Play-Offs. He also increased his lead over Van Gerwen at the top to four points as a result of Van Gerwen’s early exit in West Yorkshire.

For the first time this season, Van Gerwen has lost consecutive quarterfinal matches, and Price is attempting to clinch the top spot by defeating the Dutchman for the sixth time in a row.

 

“I know that it’s in Michael’s head that he hasn’t beaten me for a while,” insisted Price, who could become the first player to claim five nightly wins in a season since the knockout format was introduced.

“I went on a 19 or 20-game streak without beating Michael, so if I can get him past that I will be happy!

“The pressure is off now going into the next couple of weeks, but there is still £10,000 up for grabs, so I still want to win the nights and keep the other boys that haven’t qualified under pressure.

“It’s a nice feeling to be top of the table, but I’m not worried about top spot to be honest. I was just eager to get into the top four, and hopefully I can keep on winning.”

Photos from the Premier League event at the First Direct Arena, Leeds on Thursday 27th April 2023.

In the first match of the night, Peter Wright faces 2021 champion Clayton in a rematch of Birmingham’s Night Ten decider, aware that a loss would end his slim chances of making the Play-Offs.

Although the Scot has made some progress in recent weeks, his season has been a disappointment and he enters the AO Arena 13 points behind fourth-placed Aspinall with just nine points.

In contrast, Clayton dropped out of the top four spots last Thursday, and the Welshman is aiming for his third nightly triumph of 2023 to resurrect his Play-Off bid.

Wright and Clayton’s matchup’s victor will face Chris Dobey or Dimitri Van den Bergh in the semifinals, where both players will be vying to keep their top four hopes alive.

Winner of Night One Despite posting ton-plus averages in three of those losses, Dobey has dropped to seventh after a run of five straight quarterfinal exits.

Van den Bergh won the pair’s lone other Premier League match on Night Four, when both players averaged over 104, but he has only accrued two points over the same time period.

Dobey triumphed 6-2 over the Belgian on the European Tour last month to avenge that loss, but the loser of Thursday’s match will have their hopes of making the top four dashed.

2023 Cazoo Premier League

Night 14 – Thursday May 4

AO Arena, Manchester

Quarter-Finals

Peter Wright v Jonny Clayton

Chris Dobey v Dimitri Van den Bergh

Michael Smith v Nathan Aspinall

Gerwyn Price v Michael van Gerwen

 

Semi-Finals

Wright/Clayton v Dobey/Van den Bergh

Smith/Aspinall v Price/Van Gerwen

 

Final

   v