READY, AIM... FIREWORKS

MVG expects banger of a battle v ‘part-timer’ Gary

- BY MIKE WALTERS

THEY are the unrivalled kings of Ally Pally with five world titles and another seven defeats in the final between them.

When Michael van Gerwen meets Gary Anderson in a seismic fourth-round tie at the Paddy Power PDC World Championship, it will be a heavyweight contest for the ages.

And as MVG primed the blue touchpaper, he grinned: “When you play against Gary, there's always room for fireworks - I hope it will bring the best out of us again.”

Since the tournament moved to a north London hilltop citadel they have turned into their fortress, nobody has won more matches on the Alexandra Palace stage than Van Gerwen (62) and Anderson (54).

In consecutive years, during the middle of the last decade, two thunderous encounters at the World Championship defined their rivalry.