A slow and steady leg with the scoring pretty sedate.

Chris Dobey is first down to a checkout, leaving 100, but Van Gerwen leaves 120 to apply some pressure.

Pressure? What pressure? Dobey goes 20, double 20, double 20 to get the break back.

We're still waiting for our first 180 of the night.

Michael van Gerwen leaves 170 again and there's a small chorus of boos when the first dart doesn't find the treble 20.

He leaves 114 and Chris Dobey puts some pressure on by leaving 70, which he takes out with double 16 on his final dart.

Wayne Mardle
Former World Championship semi-finalist on Sky Sports

Maybe Chris needs to relax a little.Michael is looking good and throwing with a nice little rhythm.

Michael van Gerwen looks in good touch to be fair.

He gets down to a checkout first again but only finds 25 when going for 170.

His next visit brings 105 and he returns to hit double tops again with his first dart for a comfortable hold.

Michael van Gerwen says he is pain free after last week's shoulder troubles but he is not 100%.

He starts with successive 140s though so promising signs for the Dutchman.

Chris Dobey gets to a checkout first, but a poor visit allows Van Gerwen a crack at 111.

He sees it off with a clinical final dart on double tops. A fist pump to celebrate.

The crowd are still singing for seven-time Premier League winner Michael van Gerwen long after the track has finished playing.

Chris Dobey has the darts. Game on!

Plenty of support for Michael van Gerwen based on the walk-ons.

Hard not to sing along to Seven Nation Army, isn't it to be fair?

Image source, BBC Sport/Getty Images

Michael van Gerwen missed the ninth Premier League event of the season in Berlin last Thursday with a shoulder injury sustained while trying to put a shirt on.

He's back this week though - and he could do with a good night because his place in the play-offs is by no means assured.

He's currently fourth but Rob Cross and Nathan Aspinall only sit one point and three points behind respectively.

For Chris Dobey he is six points off the play-offs and you feel that 'Hollywood' needs a nightly win soon if he's to be at the O2 at the end of May.

The pair have met twice in the Premier League this season with Van Gerwen winning both matches. The Dutchman also beat Dobey in the World Championship semi-finals in January.

Right, time for the action!

The crowd in Manchester seem very lively already.

A few half-days taken I suspect...

Image source, Getty Images

Luke Littler loves making history, and he could achieve that again tonight in Manchester.

The 18-year-old has four night wins so far from the first nine evenings and one more across the remaining six weeks would set a new Premier League record.

He, Luke Humphries and Michael van Gerwen all won four nights in 2024, while Gerwyn Price, Michael Smith and Jonny Clayton have also achieved the feat since this format was introduced in 2022.

It could be a special night if Man Utd fan Littler achieves the record in his 'home' event...

Mark Webster
Former BDO world champion on Sky Sports

I sympathise with Luke. The criticism he got was really harsh.

We want players to be honest. The schedule is tough.

Image source, Getty Images

World number one Luke Humphries has said that playing darts has become a "chore" and that he feels "emotionless" from playing too much.

The 2024 world champion made the comments to Sky Sports after a 6-1 win over Dirk van Duijvenbode in the second round of the International Darts Open on Saturday.

The 30-year-old said he would take a break for his mental wellbeing, but on Sunday Humphries said he had been misunderstood after he received some criticism on social media, mostly regarding how much he is paid.

"Considering the comments and people not understanding what I meant, it will be the last time I ever confess my real feelings to the public," Humphries responded on X.

"Everything I say or ever do just never seems to be good enough for anybody.

"As long as no one complains when we all give the same answers in interviews like robots and not our true feelings, then everyone I guess will be happy, or usually will still find a way to moan at us."

Read more from Luke Humphries on the pressure of the darts schedule.

We're getting into the business end of the 2025 Premier League darts campaign - so what have you made of it all so far?

The inclusion of Gerwyn Price and Nathan Aspinall drew some criticism, but have their performances justified their places?

Will anyone stop Luke Littler retaining the title? Has anything suprised or pleased you about this year's competition?

Let us know using #bbcdarts, via WhatsApp on 03301231826 or text 81111 (standard network charges apply). Please leave your name on text messages.

Sam Drury
BBC Sport at AO Arena

The whole point of the Premier League is to pit the best darts players on the planet against one another on a weekly basis.

But while all eight are among the biggest names in the sport, one stands above the rest in terms of the interest he generates.

World champion Luke Littler is the man everyone wants to see and tonight is the closest thing the 18-year-old has to a home event.

His home town of Warrington is pretty much equidistant between Manchester and Liverpool but given his allegiance to Manchester United, he gets a far warmer reception here than at the other end of the M62...

Stephen Bunting is off the mark after his night victory last week but remains bottom of the table.

Every Thursday, the eight players go head-to-head in a straight knockout tournament. So, each player will be entered at the quarter-final stage, before moving to the semi-finals and then a final. Obviously there's only seven players tonight, following Michael van Gerwen's withdrawal.

These matches are all played over the best of 11 legs.

Players take home points from each of these rounds. The winner of the night gets five points, the runner-up three points, and each semi-finalist wins two points.

All eight players are re-entered into the tournament for the next round on the following Thursday.

The players will meet each other once at the quarter-final stage from weeks one to seven, and then again in weeks nine to 15. The matches in weeks eight and 16 will be played based on position in the league at that point.

The four players at the top of the table by the end of night 16 qualify for the play-offs, which take place on Thursday, 29 May.

The semi-finals of the play-offs are played over 19 legs, while the winner is crowned in a final match played across the best of 21 legs.

Sam Drury
BBC Sport at AO Arena

It's been a hot, sunny day in Manchester - yes, really - so it feels like even more of a commitment from those who have come in fancy dress.

I spotted Mario, Luigi and a couple of bananas looking just a tad warm at the tram stop on my way here and they won't be the only ones feeling the heat tonight.

The Premier League roadshow has arrived in Manchester for night 10 of 16 in the league phase.

Here are the quarter-final fixtures:

• Chris Dobey v Michael van Gerwen
• Nathan Aspinall v Rob Cross
• Luke Littler v Gerwyn Price
• Stephen Bunting v Luke Humphries

Semi-finals

• Dobey/Van Gerwen v Aspinall/Cross
• Littler/Price v Bunting/Humphries

Final

• Dobey/Van Gerwen/Aspinall/Cross v Littler/Price/Bunting/Humphries

Image source, Getty Images

It's Thursday night.

You know what that means? The darts is back!

And we're in the wonderful city of Manchester...

Let's get to it.