Darts: Dublin Could Be Pure Mayhem, With Jonny Clayton Carrying the Biggest Target

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The Premier League roadshow rolls into Dublin’s 3Arena on Thursday for Night Seven, and the shape of the evening is already deliciously awkward for everyone chasing Jonny Clayton. The Welshman sits top of the table on 19 points, eight clear of Luke Littler in second, and became the first player this season to win two nights after his Nottingham triumph. This makes Dublin a pressure chamber for the field and a chance for Clayton to start turning the league table into his own private property. This is one of the wildest stops on the tour, and we're all here for it!

The quarter-final line-up is set: Gian van Veen faces Michael van Gerwen, Stephen Bunting meets Luke Littler, Josh Rock takes on Gerwyn Price, and Clayton plays Luke Humphries. Night Seven takes place at Dublin’s 3Arena on March 19. 

Van Veen v Van Gerwen: youth with manners, veteran with teeth

This has the feel of a fascinating tone-setter. Van Veen has looked entirely at home in this format and already has a nightly final win under his belt after beating Littler and Clayton on the way to the Night One final before losing to Van Gerwen, then reaching another final in Glasgow. 

Van Gerwen, though, is still the sort of opponent who can turn a match into a street fight in a phone box. The prediction here is that experience squeezes through, but only just. If Van Veen starts cleanly on doubles, Dublin may get a reminder that this is no novelty act.

Prediction: Michael van Gerwen to edge it, 6-4.

Bunting v Littler: entertainment almost guaranteed

This looks like the glamour tie of the quarter-finals. Littler remains second in the table on 11 points and has already won one night this season. He averaged over 103 in defeat the week before Nottingham and was producing fireworks again. 

Bunting is dangerous because he thrives when the room gets loud and a bit loose. But Littler in this format often plays like someone who has found the cheat code hidden under the board. Expect big scoring, heavy pressure, and very little hanging about.

Prediction: Luke Littler to win, 6-3.

Rock v Price: Dublin’s noise versus Price’s nerve

This may be the most emotionally charged match of the night. Rock is still pointless after six weeks, which is remarkable given the quality he has shown in flashes. The Dublin crowd will try to drag him over the line by volume alone. 

But Price won Night Three last year in Dublin’s broader orbit of this competition’s spring swing, and in 2025 he won Night 3 by beating Nathan Aspinall 6-3 in the final, a reminder that he tends to enjoy this part of the calendar. He is not always loved in hostile arenas, but he rarely needs a cuddle. 

Prediction: Gerwyn Price to win, 6-5.

Clayton v Humphries: match of the night

This is the headline act. Humphries made his first final of the season in Nottingham before losing to Clayton, and now gets an immediate shot at revenge. 

Clayton has the look of a man who knows exactly where the exits are before anyone else has entered the room. He is calm, clinical and, right now, annoyingly efficient. Humphries should push him all the way, but Clayton is the form player and the safest pick in the building.

Prediction: Jonny Clayton to win, 6-4.

What more to look out for in Dublin

Watch for three things: whether Rock can finally turn crowd energy into points, whether Littler turns stylish scoring into another nightly run, and whether Clayton can keep wearing that sheriff’s badge at the top of the table. Right now, Dublin feels set up for one of two outcomes: a home-howl upset from Rock, or another Clayton masterclass with everyone else left chasing his shadow.