Potential PDC World Championship Dark Horses: Nathan Aspinall and Jonny Clayton

The most prestigious event on the professional darts calendar will take place in the final weeks of 2023, with the latter stages stretching into 2024.

Michael Smith is the holder of the PDC World Championship after finally claiming the prize he craved most earlier this year. The St Helens-born player will undoubtedly be in the mix again at this year's competition.

Luke Humphries is another player who is tipped to reach the latter stages, having finally gotten his first major wins under his belt in 2023. He has won the World Grand Prix and the Grand Slam of Darts so far this year.

The likes of Michael van Gerwen and Gerywn Price are also expected to make runs to the late stages of the competition.

But looking beyond the standout favourites, who could be potential dark horses at this year's event?

 

Nathan Aspinall

Nathan Aspinall is a relative outsider for the World Championship, but he has experience of winning majors that could certainly help him pull off a shock over his higher-ranked opponents. In darts odds, he is offered at 25/1 to win his third major over the turn of the year.

The World Darts odds offer the leading favourite Humphries at odds as slim as 7/2 for comparison. Aspinall is a huge underdog, but he is far from a minnow, and he certainly has the know-how when it comes to navigating the biggest stages.

Back in 2019, Aspinall defeated Michael Smith in the final of the US Darts Masters leg of the PDC World Series. He also defeated Rob Cross in the final of the US Open that same year. He has experience of beating top-level opponents which is a feat he would need to replicate to win at Alexandra Palace this year.

 

#NewProfilePic pic.twitter.com/DAgte094EQ

— Nathan Aspinall (@NathanAspi) July 24, 2023

Aspinall also ended a four-year run without winning a major with his triumph at the World Matchplay this year. There are clear signs that the Englishman is back to his best, and his current world ranking of number six certainly backs that up.

If the leading group of favourites are to be beaten to the trophy by any of the significant outsiders, then Aspinall is a strong shout to become the world champion.

 

Jonny Clayton

Jonny Clayton is a veteran of the sport, yet he has shown some of his strongest performance levels in recent years. He entered the PDC's top 10 rankings for the first time in 2021 and has remained there since.

Clayton already has a major title under his belt in the form of the World Grand Prix, which he claimed back in 2021. He also came close in the World Matchplay earlier this year in Blackpool - he was beaten by Aspinall in the final.

 

 簾 | Congratulations on reaching the Final Jonny 

簾Jonny Clayton - @JonnyCLay9

Betfred World Matchplay 2023 pic.twitter.com/kSAnu7Fncl

— Red Dragon Darts (@reddragondarts) July 24, 2023

The Welshman is simply another player who has a track record of winning titles in the past at ranked and non-ranked events. He may not quite have the form and momentum of some of the PDC's highest-flying talents, but he has a level of experience that very few players can compete with.

The two stars that met in the Matchplay final this year both look strongly suited to potentially be surprise packages at the World Championship.

Recent performances suggest both are hungry for more success in the game, and experience shows they are capable of dealing with the pressure of competing on the biggest stages.