Van den Bergh targets Premier League darts progress

Dimitri Van den Bergh takes on Jonny Clayton in Premier League darts on Thursday.

Dimitri Van den Bergh insists there will be no room for friendship when he squares off against Jonny Clayton for a spot in the Premier League Play-Offs (Dimitri Van den Bergh EVS, Tie 7/2, Jonny Clayton 9/5 – Premier League Darts Match Betting).

Three of the four semi-final berths have already been snapped up going into the final next of fixtures, with 6/4 Premier League outright favourite Michael van Gerwen, Nathan Aspinall and Jose de Sousa advancing.

The battle for fourth spot is going to be the highlight of Thursday’s schedule in Milton Keynes as Van den Bergh and Clayton step up to the oche.

Clayton sits fourth, ahead of fifth-placed Van den Bergh on leg difference, and it’s all on the line when the pair square off.

The DreamMaker needs a victory to advance, however, the Ferret can hold on to his top-four berth with a draw.

Van den Bergh has revealed he is good friends with Clayton but insists there will be no room for sentiment once the action gets underway.

“Me and Jonny – I love Jonny to bits. He’s one of the greatest guys I know in darts,” Van den Bergh said.

“[I’m not saying this] because I’m in front of a camera. It is because that’s what I really think of him. That man is brilliant. I love Jonny Clayton to bits. But tomorrow, we’re enemies. We need to do a job.

“I want to come out as a winner. 7-7 is not going to be good enough. I just hope that what my finishing was today, I’ve got to do it tomorrow. And I hope the crowd is going to back me up.”

Table-topper Van Gerwen takes on already-eliminated Peter Wright, while Nathan Aspinall takes on Jose de Sousa and Gary Anderson meets James Wade.

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