Darts legend Phil Taylor and Gary Anderson resume their battle for a Betway Premier League play-off place in Newcastle tonight.
Although not paired against each other at the Metro Radio Arena, the PDC duo will have a keen eye on each other’s games as they set their sights on a top four place.
Somerset-based Scot Anderson will hope fellow countryman Peter Wright fails to pull the power on 16-time World Champion Taylor as he focuses on a crucial encounter with Dave Chisnall.
Taylor moved to third last week by drawing with Raymond van Barneveld and then beating Chizzy, while 2011 winner Anderson moved behind Wright on leg difference by sinking current leader Michael van Gerwen.
Fifty-three-year-old Taylor knows victory will book his place at the O2 Arena later this month and dent his rivals’ ambitions. However, if both he and Anderson win the pair will occupy third and fourth entering the final league night.
Taylor said: “It’s a massive game. I’m really up for it and I opted not to play in the two tournaments last weekend to get myself ready for this – that’s how important it is to me.
“It’s a race for the ticker-tape now, so everybody’s going to push forward and the pressure’s on. I’ve been very impressed by Peter this season.
“He’s been confident and I think he’s wound a few players up and they’ve bitten to it, but he’s doing it on the board, he’s hitting the right shot that’s hurting players and the other players don’t know how to handle it.
“It’s good to watch to be honest, he’s been a little breath of fresh air. He beat me earlier in the season, but it gives me something to look forward to this week.
“It’s a clean slate and I’ll get up there and just get on with it. I’ve beaten him more times than he’s beaten me, but he’s confident on TV and thinks he’s unbeatable, so bring it on.”
Anderson added: “I’ve silenced a few critics this year but I want to play well every week. This season it’s been good and bad from me, but when I’ve been bad I’ve been absolutely sick about it, which seems to be firing me up a little bit more.
“Chizzy’s been brilliant this season. He’s been so unlucky to get the losses he has had with the way he’s played, but it’s very competitive this year and the Premier League’s full of great players.”
Dutch aces van Gerwen and van Barneveld lock horns having already qualified for the play-offs, while Rob Thornton meets Adrian Lewis in a dead rubber.
See Betway Premier League stars Dave Chisnall, Adrian Lewis and Gary Anderson at two of the biggest darts events of the year!
Chisnall and Lewis top the Lock, Stock and Three Smoking Arrows bill at Coventry’s Ricoh Arena on Saturday 27 September that also boasts darts legends Eric Bristow, Keith Deller and Bobby George.
Hosted by leading darts firm UK Sports Management, current PDC professionals Justin Pipe, Kevin Painter, Colin Lloyd and Steve Beaton will also appear alongside Sky Sports’ Wayne Mardle – all introduced by MC Russ Bray.
Apocalypse 2014 sees the return of one of last year’s most popular exhibitions. Anderson will be joined by UKSM trio Pipe, Painter and White, along with Deller, Bristow, Mardle, Beaton and John Lowe. Bray will again host the event on Saturday 6 December at the Stevenage Arts and Leisure Centre.
Tickets for both titantic tungsten tussles are selling fast and are available now from our online shop.
Picture by Lawrence Lustig/PDC