Nathan Aspinall teases Michael van Gerwen before crucial clash – 'He's in my pocket'

Nathan Aspinall has confidently dismissed chances of pinching his place in the play-offs. in the quarter-finals on night 16 of the competition in Sheffield on Thursday knowing it is make or break time.

currently sits fourth in the Premier League, behind the already qualified trio of Luke Littler, Luke Humphries, and Gerwyn Price. He is four points ahead of Van Gerwen in fifth, but knows the Dutchman could still spring a surprise with one night of magic.

Van Gerwen has 20 points, meaning he needs to dispatch Aspinall in the quarter-finals before winning the night in Sheffield to claim a maximum five points and reach the play-offs.

The seven-time Premier League champion missed the cut last year and has prompted much talk that his powers are fading with some inconsistent showings this year, including a 6-3 defeat by Aspinall in Aberdeen last week.

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If he fails to make the last four again then it will be just the second time since his debut season in 2013. And the provocative comments from his opponent will feed into the narrative that his fear factor has gone. “We all know Michael’s not the same animal as he was a few years ago. I’ve got Michael in my pocket at the minute,” Aspinall said confidently.

“I think he looked really nervous last Thursday, even in the build-up before the game. He just didn’t look his usual confident self. All the pressure is on him tomorrow. What he’s got to do to qualify is a tough ask.”

Van Gerwen himself is confident in his own ability. He said: “If you look at my rankings this year, I'm still in the top four or five. Can you imagine when I play well again? I will be really dangerous!"

HAVE YOUR SAY! Has Michael van Gerwen lost his aura? .

But others are far from convinced, with former No.1 Colin Lloyd summing up the general mood on the talkBULL podcast. "I think Michael’s race is run. With what he's achieved in the game, is he that motivated any more?” he said.

“He says he is. He says there's plenty left it in the tank and that when he turns up, he's still the man to beat and one of the best players in the world. I'm sorry, but I've got to say we haven't seen Michael turn up for a while now. We've only seen flashes of brilliance.”

He added: "Has it slipped into his head that he has other priorities? He loves spending time with the missus and the kids going on holiday. Has that little bit of spark gone from Michael's game?

“Sure, he'll turn up and he's got all the good intentions of how a champion is. But you don't turn up to make up the numbers – you turn up to win.”