The pain is evident as MVG continually struggles to win a fourth World Championship title. Will this be the time?

The Dutchman may have won three titles at Alexandra Palace but he has failed to land a fourth since his last victory in 2019.

He's also been forced to settle for the runners-up spot on three separate occasions, while 2024 has seen MVG suffer a trophy drought after losing in the final of The Masters and World Matchplay.

Is Van Gerwen showing vulnerability on the oche or is the answer a lot simpler?

The 35-year-old may have won everything there is to win in PDC Darts, but a fourth crown at Alexandra Palace continues to elude him.

Will 2025 be his year?

"My preparation has been slightly different to previous years but you have to deal with circumstances," he said. "I've been playing a little bit better in the last month but at the moment there is still more work to do.

"I have to play a bit better and more consistent - that's the way forward.

"Too many things [have gone wrong]. Little bit of confidence, things are not clicking, but it's something I have to work on."

Is Van Gerwen a dark horse for the title?

With Luke Humphries and Luke Littler dominating darts, Van Gerwen has not been part of the conversation heading to Ally Pally.

"I'm not really worried about what they do because I have to deal with my own situation," he said. "The world championship is a different tournament and I never play bad there so that's a good thing.

"My darts have to do the talking now."

Does MVG deserve to win more Worlds?

"I think I deserve to win the title more than three times but that’s the way darts goes unfortunately sometimes," reflected Van Gerwen.

"I probably deserve to win four or five in my opinion, but I've still got plenty of time. There's no point looking back because it's not going to bring me any more titles. Questions like 'could have' and 'should have' doesn't count."

Van Gerwen's biggest regret is losing to Phil 'The Power' Taylor in the final in 2013, when he appeared on course to land his maiden world title before the wheels fell off.

"I've just been unlucky because the guy I'm playing in the final is playing the game of his life. I missed darts to go 5-2 up against Phil Taylor in the 2013 final – that's probably my biggest regret," he said.

"Losing in the semi-finals to Rob Cross with a couple of darts at double 16 and double 8.

"Michael Smith threw a fantastic nine-darter but the leg after I missed three darts at a double. If I win that set I won’t lose the match. You can only blame yourself, but I didn’t play well in that moment. Unfortunately that can happen as well."

Don't compare me to Taylor

With Taylor amassing a remarkable 16 world titles, Van Gerwen feels it's unfair to compare himself to the Stoke-on-Trent great, while also suggesting his three titles are far greater than Dutch legend Raymond van Barneveld's five crowns across the two governing bodies' tournaments.

He said: "You can't compare Phil Taylor to me because we're playing darts in different eras. It's like comparing Messi with Pele.

"I deserve one or two more world titles minimum. You need to be realistic. I've won more than Barney. He's a four-time Lakeside champion. He won one PDC world title and that was in 2007!

"I've had so many great memories at Ally Pally, great wins, but some tough defeats - that's the way darts goes."

Premier League: 2013, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2022 & 2023

2013

Van Gerwen won 11, drew two and lost three of his 16 games, averaging over 100 in nine of them on his way to the Premier League play-offs in 2013.

The world No 1 then beat James Wade before seeing off Taylor 10-8 in a classic final to become only the fourth player to win the title.

2016

Three years later, he returned to clinch the £200,000 first prize with an emphatic 11-3 victory over six-time winner Taylor in the final.

The Dutchman averaged 104.68 per visit to the oche and notched the final's highest checkout with a 121.

2017

MVG came from 7-2 down in a dramatic final to beat Wright at London's O2 Arena to win his third Premier League title in 2017.

The Dutchman took home the £250,000 top prize by beating Wright 11-10 after the Scot missed six match darts.

2018 & 2019

He maintained his vice-like grip on the trophy, securing a third successive title by beating Smith 11-4 and followed it up by topping the table for a seventh straight year before defeating Rob Cross 11-5 in the 2019 final.

2022 & 2023

After Joe Cullen missed a dart to win the title in 2022, MVG joined Taylor as a six-time Premier League champion after winning a last-leg decider and a year later he made it a magnificent seven by crushing Gerwyn Price 11-5 in the final.

MVG's World Championship title drought

What the players have said...

Luke Humphries

"I just think there are too many good players for him to win everything which is why you're not seeing players dominating like in the past. One bad five or 10-minute spell could cost you in a match now whereas it might not have done previously."

Chris Dobey

"The standard in the last two or three years has come on leaps and bounds. There's no tougher field than there is now. We've got lots of talent coming through all over the shop."

Gary Anderson

"I won two and lost in the final for the third one, but I could have had a total of five in my back pocket. If it's meant to be it's meant to be. One slip and you’re punished. It's as simple as that."

Ryan Searle

"Van Gerwen went through that spell of absolutely dominating the game and he's only got three world titles which just shows the strength of the game."

Danny Noppert

"He should have won more but with the amount of titles already, it's crazy. Lots of darts players are getting better now. Years ago it was Phil Taylor or Michael van Gerwen but now there are others. There can always be a different winner at tournaments."

Stephen Bunting

"It’s cut-throat in the PDC. There are players coming on the tour who are smashing 105, 106 averages. It never gets any easier. Equipment is improving, the darts boards are improving, the players' forms are improving, everyone is on the practice boards because the prize money is going up all the time. The standard is unbelievable and there are so many players who are special and haven't won a world title."