Nathan Aspinall thrashed Michael Van Gerwen 8-3 to go back to the top of the Premier League as the action returned in front of fans in Milton Keynes.
Aspinall leapfrogged Van Gerwen into pole position with a brilliant display as fans returned to the Marshall Arena for the first time since December.
World number 10 Aspinall finished the match with a 97 average, which included three 180s, and hit 57 per cent of his doubles.
👀 ''You've got the best player to ever throw a dart looking through the curtain at the crowd, that tells you a lot'' The Asp gives us an insight into just what it means for players to have fans back in the Premier League 🙏.@NathanAspi #Unibet180 | #PLDarts21 | @OfficialPDC pic.twitter.com/9H42CG4IzP — Unibet (@unibet) May 24, 2021
The 29-year-old from Stockport opened with a 120 checkout and moved into a 3-0 lead, before another 120 finish helped him extend his advantage to 5-1.
Van Gerwen produced 122 and 110 checkouts to reduce the deficit to 5-3, but squandered several chances and Aspinall made the Dutchman pay by closing out the match.
Peter Wright returned to winning ways and kept his hopes of a top-four finish alive with an 8-4 win against James Wade.
Wright won four legs on the spin from 2-0 down and at 5-4 up produced 103 and 81 checkouts to move 7-4 ahead before sealing victory in the 12th leg.
𝗧𝗢𝗡-𝗢𝗨𝗧 Huge roar from Peter Wright there as he maintains that all-important two leg cushion with a 103 finish! pic.twitter.com/SSt4mVvY4v — PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) May 24, 2021
Portugal's Jose De Sousa extended his unbeaten run to five matches with an 8-6 win over Dimitri Van Den Bergh, which saw him jump above the Belgian into third place in the table.
Jonny Clayton hit eight doubles from 14 attempts as he blitzed Gary Anderson 8-1 to boost his play-off hopes.
Two-time world champion Anderson missed seven doubles and from 1-1 Clayton reeled off seven straight legs to dent the Scot's top-four chances.
