Fixtures for Premier League featuring Michael Smith and Dave Chisnall

The St Helens pair will meet each other in week three at Dublin.

Gary Anderson will begin his defence of the Betway Premier League title with a rematch against Adrian Lewis when the new season kicks off in Leeds on Thursday February 4, while great rivals Phil Taylor and Raymond van Barneveld will also clash at the First Direct Arena.

Anderson retained the World Championship title with a defeat of Lewis at Alexandra Palace in London, having also overcome the Stoke ace in the 2011 Premier League final.

The pair will meet again on the opening night of the new Premier League season at Leeds' First Direct Arena in one of five tasty fixtures as the Sky Sports-televised event returns.

The opening night will also see the four other former Premier League champions clash, with six-time winner Phil Taylor up against 2014 champion Raymond van Barneveld.

World number one Michael van Gerwen, the 2013 Premier League champion and last year's beaten finalist, facing 2009 winner James Wade.

The second league night, at Newcastle's Metro Radio Arena on Thursday February 11, will be headlined by the high-profile clash between van Gerwen and Anderson in a repeat of the 2015 Premier League final.

Taylor will face Wade in a repeat of the 2008 and 2010 Premier League finals, while Lewis takes on Chisnall, van Barneveld plays Wright and Smith meets Thornton.

Week Three sees the Betway Premier League cross the Irish Sea to visit Dublin's 3Arena, which will include Taylor's clash with Anderson, van Gerwen meeting Lewis and the all-St Helens fixture between Chisnall and Smith.

The visit to Aberdeen in Week Four sees the all-Scottish meeting between Wright and Thornton, Anderson's contest with van Barneveld and van Gerwen up against Smith.

Another all-Scottish clash will see Anderson play Thornton at Exeter's Westpoint Arena in Week Five, while Taylor faces Lewis in a meeting of the Stoke rivals.

Taylor and Thornton will renew their rivalry on the big stage in Week Six at Nottingham's Motorpoint Arena, having contested three major TV finals in recent years, while van Gerwen plays Chisnall and pupil-faces-master as Smith takes on mentor Anderson.

The tournament returns to Glasgow's SSE Hydro in Week Seven, with Anderson and Wright facing off in an all-Scottish battle as Thornton plays Wade in front of his home fans before van Gerwen and Taylor face off.

Thornton and van Gerwen will meet in a rematch of October's World Grand Prix final in Week Eight in Liverpool, which also sees Lewis meet van Barneveld and Taylor take on Wright.

Judgement Night on Week Nine will be the final round of games before the bottom two players are eliminated, which will include the all-Dutch clash between van Barneveld and van Gerwen.

Chisnall will play Wright, Thornton takes on Lewis, Smith plays Taylor and Wade meets Anderson.

Following Judgement Night, the remaining eight players will take each other on once more in the remaining six league nights before the top four players progress to compete in the Play-Offs on Thursday May 19.

Fixtures for Weeks Ten-15 will be announced following Judgement Night at www.pdc.tv.

Dutch star van Gerwen is the 11/8 pre-tournament favourite with sponsors Betway, with Anderson a 7/2 chance to retain the title and Taylor the 13/2 third favourite as he seeks to recapture the trophy in May.

2016 Betway Premier League.

Week One-Nine Fixtures.

Night One - February 4.

First Direct Arena, Leeds.

Peter Wright v Michael Smith.

Michael van Gerwen v James Wade.

Phil Taylor v Raymond van Barneveld.

Gary Anderson v Adrian Lewis.

Robert Thornton v Dave Chisnall.

Tickets: 0844 248 1585 or www.eventim.co.uk.

Night Two - February 11.

Metro Radio Arena, Newcastle.

Michael Smith v Robert Thornton.

Raymond van Barneveld v Peter Wright.

Adrian Lewis v Dave Chisnall.

Gary Anderson v Michael van Gerwen.

James Wade v Phil Taylor.

Tickets: 0844 493 6666 or www.eventim.co.uk.

Night Three - February 18.

3Arena, Dublin.

Peter Wright v James Wade.

Dave Chisnall v Michael Smith.

Phil Taylor v Gary Anderson.

Michael van Gerwen v Adrian Lewis.

Robert Thornton v Raymond van Barneveld.

Tickets: 0818 719 300 (Ireland), 0870 243 4455 (Northern Ireland), 00353 1 4858010 (International) or www.ticketmaster.ie.

Night Four - February 25th.

GE Oil & Gas Arena, Aberdeen.

Adrian Lewis v James Wade.

Gary Anderson v Raymond van Barneveld.

Michael van Gerwen v Michael Smith.

Phil Taylor v Dave Chisnall.

Peter Wright v Robert Thornton.

Tickets: 08444 77 9000 or www.ticketmaster.co.uk/aecc.

Night Five - March 3.

Westpoint Arena, Exeter.

Phil Taylor v Adrian Lewis.

Dave Chisnall v James Wade.

Robert Thornton v Gary Anderson.

Peter Wright v Michael van Gerwen.

Michael Smith v Raymond van Barneveld.

Tickets: 08444 99 99 55 or www.ticketzone.co.uk.

Night Six - March 10.

Motorpoint Arena, Nottingham.

Michael Smith v Gary Anderson.

Peter Wright v Adrian Lewis.

Raymond van Barneveld v James Wade.

Robert Thornton v Phil Taylor.

Dave Chisnall v Michael van Gerwen.

Tickets: 0843 373 3000 or www.motorpointarenanottingham.com.

Night Seven - March 17.

The SSE Hydro, Glasgow.

James Wade v Robert Thornton.

Adrian Lewis v Michael Smith.

Michael van Gerwen v Phil Taylor.

Gary Anderson v Peter Wright.

Raymond van Barneveld v Dave Chisnall.

Tickets: 0844 395 4000 or www.thessehydro.com.

Night Eight - March 24.

Echo Arena, Liverpool.

James Wade v Michael Smith.

Gary Anderson v Dave Chisnall.

Adrian Lewis v Raymond van Barneveld.

Michael van Gerwen v Robert Thornton.

Phil Taylor v Peter Wright.

Tickets: 0844 8000 400 or www.echoarena.com.

Judgement Night - March 31.

Motopoint Arena, Cardiff.

Dave Chisnall v Peter Wright.

Raymond van Barneveld v Michael van Gerwen.

Robert Thornton v Adrian Lewis.

Michael Smith v Phil Taylor.

James Wade v Gary Anderson.

Tickets: 02920 224488 or www.motorpointarenacardiff.co.uk.

Fixtures for remaining League Nights to be confirmed following Judgement Night.

Night Ten - April 7.

Sheffield Arena.

Tickets: 0114 256 5656 or www.sheffieldarena.co.uk.

Night 11 - April 14.

The SSE Arena, Belfast.

Tickets: 028 9073 9074 or www.ssearenabelfast.com.

Night 12 - April 21.

Bournemouth International Centre.

Tickets: 0844 576 3000 or www.bhlivetickets.co.uk.

Night 13 - April 28.

The Barclaycard Arena, Birmingham.

Tickets: 0844 338 8000 or www.theticketfactory.com.

Night 14 - May 5.

The Manchester Arena.

Tickets: 0844 847 8000 or www.eventim.co.uk.

Night 15 - May 12.

The Ahoy Arena, Rotterdam.

Tickets: 0900 300 1250 (Netherlands), 0031 88 123 24 25 (International) or www.ticketmaster.nl.

Play-Offs - May 19.

The O2, London.

Tickets: 0844 856 0202 or www.axs.com.

Where tickets have sold out through a venue's box office, tickets may also be available through www.viagogo.co.uk or www.viagogo.nl. Viagogo is the official ticket exchange of the Betway Premier League.

Latest Betway Tournament Odds.

11/8 Michael van Gerwen.

7/2 Gary Anderson.

13/2 Phil Taylor.

12/1 Adrian Lewis

18/1 Peter Wright.

20/1 James Wade.

22/1 Dave Chisnall.

25/1 Michael Smith, Raymond van Barneveld.

50/1 Robert Thornton.

Odds courtesy of www.betway.com and subject to fluctuation.