Clayton Storms to Night 3 Victory in Glasgow to Move Top of Premier League Table

Jonny Clayton continued his love affair with the Premier League with a commanding Night 3 victory at the OVO Hydro in Glasgow, securing the maximum five points and £10,000 winner’s bonus to move top of the table after three weeks.

The 51-year-old from Pontyberem defeated Gerwyn Price, Luke Littler, and Gian van Veen in a superb display of consistency to climb onto nine points in the league standings.

Pre-tournament, the Welshman was priced at 50/1 by bookmakers for the title and widely tipped to struggle across the 16-week roadshow. However, once again, ‘The Ferret’ demonstrated why this format suits him so well.

Incredibly, he has never missed finals night in his three previous Premier League appearances, winning the title on debut in 2021 and reaching the play-offs in both 2022 and 2023.

Overcoming Price in the Q-Fs

Clayton’s evening began by overcoming a significant psychological hurdle, defeating his World Cup partner Gerwyn Price for just the second time in their last eighteen meetings.

In Antwerp last week, he fell 6-5 to the eventual winner, marking his tenth consecutive defeat to ‘The Iceman’.

However, he flipped the script against his teammate in Glasgow, averaging 99.88 and 60% on the outer ring to seal a controlled 6-3 victory.

Clayton dictated the key moments in the contest and prevented Price from building momentum and securing yet another win over his good friend.

Importantly, it not only dented a difficult head-to-head record against his fellow Welshman, but also preserved his perfect quarter-final record during the 2026 campaign so far. 

Securing those early two points will be crucial in maintaining his position inside the play-off spots.

Clinical Against Littler After Early Drama

The evening in Glasgow had already been disrupted when it was announced on Thursday morning that Michael van Gerwen had withdrawn due to illness.

Under tournament rules, Luke Littler, originally scheduled to face the Dutchman in the third quarter-final, received a walkover, collecting two league points and a +1 leg difference without throwing a dart.

‘Mighty Mike’, on the other hand, received zero points and a -6 leg difference, a major blow, especially given his impressive start, picking up eight points in the first two nights.

However, the World No.1 struggled to capitalise on the extra rest, and it showed in his performance.

Clayton produced a 101.33 average, hit four maximums and landed 6 out of 9 (66.67%) on the outer ring in dismantling ‘The Nuke’.

The teenager struggled to gain a foothold in the game, and the World No.5 punished with every opportunity, recording just his second victory over the back-to-back World Champion and first since February 2025, just over a year ago.

Ferret Finishes the Job in Style

Awaiting Clayton in the final was Gian van Veen, who had impressed once again on his debut campaign, reaching his second final in three nights.

However, the final proved to be one-sided as the Welshman continued to improve with each performance.

Clayton averaged 104.35 and wrapped up a 6-2 victory with a stunning 156 checkout. His two-treble visit prowess shone through, and his young Dutch opponent managed just four attempts on the outer ring in the final.

It capped a ruthless, dominant display across the evening, losing only six legs in three matches as he brushed off Gerwyn Price, Luke Littler and Gian van Veen.

Key Takeaways from Night 3

Van Veen’s Composure Continues

Despite defeat in the final, van Veen continues to move in the right direction. The 23-year-old is three nights into his debut campaign and has reached two finals, Night One in Newcastle and now tonight in Glasgow.

The Dutchman opened with a 104.36 average in a 6-3 win over Stephen Bunting before surviving two match darts to edge past World No.2 Luke Humphries 6-5 in a high-quality semi-final.

He overcame a 103.25 average and seven maximums from his opponent in the semi-final, with his finishing the outstanding statistic, hitting 6/8 (75%) on his doubles to gain a crucial point.

The most impressive attribute from van Veen is his maturity and composure to grind out results. Even when not at his best, he does not look overawed by the Premier League stage like many before him and already sits in 3rd place on six points after three nights.

Two Lukes Yet to Reach a Final

Incredibly, the world’s top two, Luke Littler and Luke Humphries, are yet to reach a final after three nights and sit outside the play-off positions in fifth and sixth respectively.

Humphries’ campaign so far has been defined by key moments not going his way. The World No.2 has performed consistently at a high level but has struggled to convert that into the points his performances have probably deserved.

Across the opening three weeks, he missed match darts against Littler, van Veen and Price, going on to lose two of those three games, costly points lost to his rivals.

Meanwhile, Littler was handed an unusual route to the semi-finals in Glasgow but could not assert himself against a relentless Clayton.

The World No.1 is yet to find his rhythm in the Premier League campaign, with just one victory in three nights, which came after Humphries missed multiple match darts in Antwerp last week.

He will be looking to return to his usual standards of producing ton-plus averages regularly to climb towards the top of the table once again.

However, three nights in, it is clear this will be far from a straightforward “Luke vs. Luke” dominant narrative expected pre-tournament.

Concern for Price’s Slow Starts

Gerwyn Price currently sits in fourth position after Glasgow on five points, but Night 3 followed a worrying pattern.

Across the opening three weeks, his quarter-final averages have hovered in the low-to-mid 90s, suggesting that he is struggling to impose his normal game to start evenings.

He averaged 94.92 in Newcastle in defeat, 94.46 in Antwerp to defeat van Veen 6-5, and 91.86 in a 6-3 loss to Clayton.

While Antwerp demonstrated his capacity to grow into an evening and produce elite-level performances to land the maximum points, the Premier League schedule demands the consistency he is not currently offering.

If he is to maintain a place in the top four, picking up those early two points in quarter-finals must become more regular.

Early Pressure Mounting on Bunting and Rock

Elsewhere, the pressure continues to mount on Stephen Bunting and Josh Rock.

Bunting lost out to Gian van Veen 6-3, performing admirably but ultimately falling short. ‘The Bullet’ looks short on confidence on the big stage right now despite strong Pro Tour results. 

Memories of his 2025 campaign winless run, which lasted until Night 9 in Berlin, will inevitably linger and he is in urgent need of grinding out a victory.

Meanwhile, Rock is yet to settle on debut and remains without a point after three weeks. The Northern Irishman struggled to match Humphries in the scoring phase, managing just three shots at the outer ring, two from big combination finishes. 

Next week, the roadshow heads to Belfast, where he will face fellow debutant van Veen. Home support should provide a much-needed boost for ‘Rocky’ as he looks to register his first points.

How the League Is Shaping Up

Following Night 3 in Glasgow, the Premier League table paints an intriguing picture.

Clayton leads the way on nine points following his triumph. MvG’s withdrawal disrupted his early momentum, but he remains in second place on eight points, while both Littler and Humphries sit outside the play-off spots despite entering the campaign as the heavy favourites.

Debutant Gian van Veen sits third with six points after two finals in three nights, while Gerwyn Price holds the final play-off spot on five points, still searching for consistency.

The gap is beginning to widen at the foot of the table with Stephen Bunting and debutant Josh Rock, pointless and sitting seventh and eighth respectively.

The unpredictability of this year’s competition is already evident.

2026 Premier League Table Graphic after Night 3 (Graphic by PDC)

A Tournament He Relishes

Pre-tournament, bookmakers placed Clayton as an outside at 50/1, with many viewing him as a clear possibility for bottom place. However, history suggested otherwise.

The Welshman has consistently thrived in this format, and Glasgow is familiar winning territory for him. In 2022, he also won in Glasgow, which proved a launchpad to top spot that year in a dominant league phase, registering four night wins and 40 points, nine clear of van Gerwen in second.

Speaking after Thursday’s triumph, Clayton admitted that relishing this competition is a key factor behind his success.

“I’m enjoying myself, and when you enjoy what you’re doing, things seem to happen for you.”

“I’ve got a bit of experience in the Premier League. This is my favourite tournament, and I know what you’ve got to do to get to Finals Night.”

“Hopefully, this is going to be a push in the right direction. I’m doing alright so far!”

Those words from the 51-year-old reflect a player fully aware of what the Premier League demands and how to maintain consistent results and performances in this unforgiving format.

Three nights into the 2026 campaign, Clayton once again finds himself among the play-off positions, sitting top of the table.

Glasgow may once again prove the catalyst for his campaign, with ‘The Ferret’ building momentum in his “favourite event”, aiming to retain his perfect finals night record and potentially secure a second Premier League trophy.

Night Four Fixtures - SSE Arena, Belfast

Thursday February 26

Quarter-Finals

Luke Littler v Jonny Clayton

Stephen Bunting v Luke Humphries

Michael van Gerwen v Gerwyn Price

Gian van Veen v Josh Rock