Premier League Arrows: Johnny Clayton eyes Wales final in Cardiff

Clayton won the Premier League title in his first year in 2021, beating Portuguese Jose de Souza 11-5 in the final, which he is looking forward to doing again.

“All I can do is go out and try to play my best darts, and if I can keep doing that then I’m doing something right.

“If this is my season then it will be my season. Hopefully it will be that way and I can win two Premier League titles.”

With a highly competitive squad featuring eight players, including four world champions, you could be forgiven for not expecting the former plasterer to top the standings four weeks later.

Neither Luke Littler nor Luke Humphries have reached the final on any of the four nights of competition in 2026, despite being ranked number one and two in the world.

However, Clayton was a model of continuity in the 2026 tournament.

Winning a quarter-final match each week ensured he would get at least two points on each court, the only player to do so.

He said: “I’ve been in the Premier League before so I know what you have to do, it’s some experience on my behalf.

“Points are very important whether it is just two points or five points, if you can get two points every week you will soon be at the end of the sixteenth week of the seventeenth week.” [play-offs]”.

Consistency week after week is really important, he says.

“Getting wins on the night is a huge bonus,” Clayton added.

“I have one under my belt, and hopefully there will be one on Thursday night, and I can still be at the top when it comes to Week 17.”

Clayton will face world championship runner-up Gian van Veen in the quarter-finals on Thursday, with the pair having split their previous meetings.

“We’ve both got one win each, but it’s at home in Wales, so hopefully that works out for me and that Gyan can experience the right Welsh fans.

He added: “I’m looking forward to it. He’s a great boy and a great player and I’m sure it will be a good match.”