Jonny Clayton moved back to the top of the Premier League table with a 6-5 victory over Michael van Gerwen on Night 10 in Brighton.
Clayton has usurped Luke Littler and Gerwyn Price by moving onto 24 points, with Littler second on 21 points, and Price third on 19 points.
By making it to his fourth nightly final, Van Gerwen moved back into the top four on 16 points.
It marks Clayton's third nightly win of the 2026 campaign and was an incredible comeback to clinch it.
After starting the final with a brilliant 140 checkout to move 1-0 ahead, the Welshman was under pressure as Van Gerwen rattled off three legs in a row to move 3-1 ahead.
From there, Clayton got another leg on the board but the Dutchman did not slow down and with a slinky 12-dart leg moved 5-2 in front and looked certain for victory.
However, Clayton then mounted his fight back and took four legs on the bounce, the highlight when he clinched 84 on the bullseye to bring the game level.
Clayton was bullish following his win, declaring it is once again time for Littler to chase him down.
"I thought the game was over. He missed and gave me a chance. We've got to take chances. The last leg was probably my best of the game but they all count, I'm through, back on top of the table and it's time for Luke Littler to start chasing me again," Clayton told Your Site.
"I know what it's like to be here, I've got the experience, I know what it takes to get to Finals night. You've got to play darts, taken your chances, and if you play half-decent you've got a chance of playing on Night 17.
"I lost to Josh Rock last week, and the week before. Last week's game was brilliant - Josh hit every double going. That puts you under pressure. I was just looking for two points coming into tonight, anything else was a bonus. So to end the night back in top spot, with another trophy for the cabinet is great."
Clayton avenged two Premier League defeats to Rock over the past two weeks with a 6-4 victory to book his spot in the final. It was also the win that moved him back on top and slenderly ahead of Littler in second before he increased that margin with his nightly win.
After racing 3-0 ahead, Clayton managed to continually keep Rock at arm's length, the Northern Irishman's fight backs not enough as the Welshman found his doubling in the key moments to hold his throw and see out the game.
Clayton snapped a three-week quarter-final losing streak by inflicting a damaging 6-5 deciding-leg loss on Luke Humphries with a bullseye finish.
Defending champion Humphries ended Night 10 in seventh spot and is running out of opportunities to attempt to collect the points he needs in order to defend his title at Finals Night.
Van Gerwen came through a tough battle against birthday boy Stephen Bunting to clinch a 6-5 win and add more vital points in his quest to make it back to Finals Night.
It was not a classic between the world No 4 and No 7 and so, after two breaks a piece, the match was levelled at 5-5.
From there, the Dutchman raced away in the 11th leg and on D8, made it into his fourth final of this year's Premier League.
In an all-Dutch clash just one week out from Rotterdam, Van Gerwen came away with a 6-4 won over Gian van Veen in the quarters.
The 'Green Machine' took the opening three legs in a row, including a brilliant 127 checkout, before Van Veen hit back with three legs of his own. But, with two breaks of throw and a hold, Van Gerwen got over the line as the match threatened to turn scrappy.
Bunting opened his night with a 6-4 victory over an under-par Littler as the world champion registered his lowest average in a televised PDC event at 83.94.
The world No 1 started the contest by reacting to some loud boos he heard in the Brighton crowd, pointing to his ear and shrugging his shoulders, but after that, the contest was Bunting's to lose from the opening leg with the crowd right on Littler's back.
Indeed, while all eyes were on Littler's potential semi-final match up with Van Veen after their dramatic clash in Manchester last week, the world No 1's struggles in every department gave Bunting countless opportunities to get on top which he eventually took, meaning 'The Nuke's' rematch with his rival never materialised.
Elsewhere, Rock began his evening with a strong 6-3 win over Price as he keeps his points tally ticking.
Price came into the evening in some form after his Night Nine win in Manchester, but Rock came out looking confident after picking up four out of five legs in a row, including three breaks of throw, as he proved too strong for the 'Iceman'.
Who will win this year's Premier League Darts? Luke Humphries will be defending his title and you can watch the action every single Thursday until May on Your Site. .
