Premier League Darts LIVE RESULTS: Aspinall WINS in Aberdeen as Luke Littler secures top spot and Price hit nine-darter

But what if The Asp wins?

A win for Nathan Aspinall would eliminate Rob Cross and Chris Dobey from contention heading into the final week.

It would make it a straight shootout between him and MVG.

Aspinall would then be on 24 points, with Van Gerwen stuck on 20 - meaning Mighty Mike would HAVE to win next week and take the full five points in this scenario.

With next week's fixtures determined by the final standings this week, there is a major possibility that the two players could meet in the first round next week as well.

First will play eighth, second faces seventh, third plays sixth... leaving fourth and fifth to meet once again.

MVG will move up to third if he takes the overall win tonight, so that fixture could be avoided, but Aspinall will definitely end tonight in either fourth or fifth spot.

Big night for MVG

While there are still four players in with a chance of making the final four, one of them could end all that talk tonight.

If Michael van Gerwen was to take a nightly win in Aberdeen he would claim the full five points and rocket up to 25 - six points ahead of Nathan Aspinall.

That would be an unassailable lead for the rest of the field.

New business venture

Littler is well on his way to being the game's richest star and has now started a new side hustle with Nathan Aspinall.

The Premier League pair might be rivals on the oche but they are big pals off it and have now opened a darts shop in Sheffield.

The grand opening is next week, on May 21, the day before the final night of the Premier League season before the finals.

Both will be in attendance to open the shop, with tickets for a meet and greet costing £5.

However, the shop is not going to be a permanent fixture but a pop-up to celebrate the darts roadshow rolling into town.

It will be at the Meadowhall Shopping Centre from May 21-23.

'He's not Phil Taylor'

As well as having his say on Michael van Gerwen, Colin Lloyd was also strong on his opinion of Luke Littler.

The reigning world champion is continually compared to Phil Taylor - who won a record 16 world titles and 87 majors.

Lloyd said: "I don’t want to use the words 'Taylor-esque' because Taylor was the same.

"Different era, different players with two completely different people.

"He is not Phil Taylor. He is Luke Littler.

"And listen, he has the ability to absolutely blow people away.

"In the world of darts there haven’t been many of them.

"Luke Humphries is up there as one of those I think.

"Gezzy Price on his day and MVG.

"There’s only a small group of players that have been capable over the years to throw sublime darts for a period of time and make it look easy."

'Numbers game'

While there will be some tournaments on free-to-air broadcasts, Matchroom chief Barry Hearn said that fans could expect to see darts on streaming giants.

He said: "We live in a numbers game. ITV4 has been fantastically successful for us in the numbers it’s got.

"We need to be more encouraging to the younger market, which involves talking to them in the language that they understand and the medium that they understand.

"And that’s why the world is becoming more digital.

"The future is more Netflix than free-to-air.

"It’s going to involve a multiple number of broadcasters. Some free-to-air, some behind the pay model.

"People will be able to watch what they want to watch, the sports they want to watch, when they want to watch it and for a price they can afford. I find that really exciting."

New player in town

There was some huge news from the wider world of darts earlier today when it was announced that ITV will be losing a number of tournaments.

ITV have shown the European Championship, World Series of Darts, Players Championship, UK Open and Masters since 2008, with those events shown on ITV4 in recent years.

But the broadcaster will lose the rights to those tournaments when the Players Championship finishes in November.

It is expected that Channel 5 will now pick up some of the free-to-air broadcast rights.

Matchroom Sport will take charge of all events not shown on Sky Sports.

That means that the production and commentary teams that had been on ITV could change, with Matchroom to pick new teams.

'Lost the fear factor'

Van Gerwen's form has been the subject of plenty of talk this season with the Dutchman not the dominant force that he once was.

Luke Littler and Luke Humphries have replaced him as the world's top players and Van Gerwen has been losing matches he would previously sleepwalk.

Former World Matchplay winner Colin Lloyd told TalkSPORT: "There are just far too many inconsistencies that have crept into his game over a period of time.

"Unfortunately for him it’s getting a little bit more too often now.

"I’m going to say it like this, he’s lost that fear factor now. He’s not the dominant player he once was.

"I’m certainly not putting him down because he’s a class act and a class fella, but you’ve got the likes of Littler, Humphries, Aspinall, Price, people away from the Premier League at the moment - Jonny Clayton - people like that all want a piece of the action."

Never write him off

While Price has Aspinall making it into the final four, he is by no means writing off Michael van Gerwen.

He said: "I think he missed out on final night once before so he knows that feeling.

"I think he'll probably be on the board trying not to be back in that situation again.

"But like I say, you can never write Michael off. He's a great player - we've all seen what he can do in the past but is that gone?

"No, we don't know that."

Price also echoed Humphries on not being fussed by the final standings.

"If I'm fourth, third, second, doesn't really matter.

"For me, the vital thing was just to get to the O2 and wherever you play, it doesn't really matter.

"You know, you're going to have to play really well to win the tournament.

"But, yeah, without a doubt, there's £10,000 up for grabs as well and it probably gives me the opportunity to try out a new set of darts."

'It's a big game'

Gerwyn Price will certainly be tuning in to the opening match of the night.

Speaking ahead of the Aberdeen event, The Iceman said: "I think Rob Cross needs to win tomorrow night if he's got any chance at all.

"If he doesn't I think he's probably out of the equation then but yeah it's a big game between Nathan and Michael."

He added: "I'm glad I'm not in that situation but at the moment Nathan's probably got a little bit more determination and a little bit more fight.

"You know he's a target player who will grind out results no matter if he's 5-1 behind or 5-0 behind.

"I think he'll still be fighting right till the end.

"If I had my cards on the table I'd probably say Nathan but you can never write Michael off."

Cool on Position

Luke Humphries currently sits second in the table behind Luke Littler, who he faces first tonight and beat in the nightly final last week.

They are now 3-3 on the season.

He said: "When I played Luke in Newcastle I had no answer to his performance, but when I’m at my best, I know I can push him."

But Cool Hand is definitely not fussed about where he ends up in the table, despite the £10,000 nightly win bonus.

Having already qualified he knows it's more about what happens on May 29.

Humphries added: "Winning in Leeds last week will give me great confidence, but the goal now is to be Premier League champion.

"Whatever happens in the next two weeks, that’s my focus."

Tonight's fixtures

The biggest game of the night looks like it's going to be up first.

Michael van Gerwen and Nathan Aspinall are the pair of players looking most likely to earn that final spot, with Rob Cross five points adrift.

Mighty Mike and The Asp are the first players to take to the Oche in Aberdeen in what is looking like a massive game in both of their seasons.

Remember, fifth will net £75,000 while a top four finish will net £85,000 - and a possible chance to take home the £275,000 top prize.

• Michael van Gerwen vs Nathan Aspinall - 7.15pm
• Gerwyn Price vs Stephen Bunting - 7.45pm
• Chris Dobey vs Rob Cross - 8.15pm
• Luke Littler vs Luke Humphries - 8.45pm