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2019 Unibet Premier League Darts – Michael van Gerwen vs Mensur Suljovic Preview & Prediction
When is Michael van Gerwen vs Mensur Suljovic taking place? Thursday 16th May – 19:00 (UK)
Where is Michael van Gerwen vs Mensur Suljovic taking place? First Direct Arena, Leeds
What channel is Michael van Gerwen vs Mensur Suljovic on? Sky Sports Action, Sky Sports Mix
Where can I stream Michael van Gerwen vs Mensur Suljovic? Sky Sports subscribers can stream the match via Sky Go
Where can I get tickets for Michael van Gerwen vs Mensur Suljovic? https://www.pdc.tv/unibet-premier-league-tickets
All-time meetings: Michael van Gerwen 12-4 Mensur Suljovic
Previous meeting: Michael van Gerwen 7-5 Mensur Suljovic
Michael van Gerwen comes in the final round of the league phase fixtures one point behind league-leader Rob Cross knowing that finishing at the top of the table for the seventh consecutive year is out of his own hands. If Van Gerwen wins then Cross would need to win also, while a draw for MVG would mean a point would be enough for Cross to claim top spot.
Last week Van Gerwen recorded the highest average of the 2019 Premier League with an astronomical average of 110.85 during an 8-1 demolition of Peter Wright. It was the third time in four Premier League matches where he has had an average of at least 106.
In his bid to win his third tournament in successive weekends, Van Gerwen was defeated in the quarter-finals by Peter Wright at the European Darts Grand Prix on Sunday.
Mensur Suljovic starts the evening in fourth position and ahead of fifth-placed Daryl Gurney on legs won against the throw. The Austrian can still finish as high at third in the table and as low as sixth depending on how the results of the evening pan out.
Last week in Sheffield he was defeated 8-4 by Rob Cross. Having had his throw broken in the opening leg of the match, Suljovic was always trailing thereafter against an opponent who was averaging in excess of 103 for much of the contest.
Suljovic lost 6-5 to Steve Beaton in his opening match at the European Darts Grand Prix last weekend. Beaton went on to reach the semi-finals before losing to eventual winner Ian White.
THE PREDICTION
Both players have different motivations for the points with Van Gerwen chasing top spot and Suljovic trying to reach the play-offs, though even a victory for either player might not be enough at the final reckoning. The bad news for Suljovic is that Van Gerwen will be highly motivated to make sure he keeps the pressure on Rob Cross ahead of his game against James Wade which follows this match. With the exception of his match against Daryl Gurney, the world number one has recorded some high averages over recent weeks and his performance in particular against Wright last week was outstanding. Suljovic has remained in contention without really playing to his best standard and he has ridden his luck at times. It is unlikely that the Austrian ace will get many chances against an opponent who has won nine times out of their last ten encounters, so expect Van Gerwen to take the two points from this fixture.
For 2019 Premier League Darts results, fixtures, latest standings and statistics, visit our tournament page
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