When Luke Littler strode onto the stage in Birmingham, few could have predicted just how historic the night would become.
Yet by the time he’d sunk the winning double to defeat Michael van Gerwen 6–4, Luke Littler had not only replicated their World Championship final scoreline but also carved his name into Premier League lore.
A Stunning Fifth Win
In just his second season on the Premier League circuit, the 18-year-old prodigy shattered expectations by claiming his fifth nightly title of the campaign.
He saw off fellow Target stablemates Stephen Bunting and Nathan Aspinall en route to the final, where he once again outplayed Van Gerwen in a thrilling rematch of the 2025 World Championship showpiece.
“It feels amazing to keep setting record in the Premier League. It’s only my second year.”
That electrifying performance not only netted Littler a £10,000 bonus but also secured his playoff berth at the O₂ Arena—proof that this teenage sensation isn’t content merely to participate; he’s here to dominate.
O2 Playoff Spot Secured
Thanks to his night-13 heroics, Littler is now guaranteed a spot in the season-ending playoffs. And with three league nights remaining—in Leeds, Aberdeen, and Sheffield—he’s eyeing the coveted top seed to earn the first semi-final slot of the night and the strategic rest that comes with it.
“It’s good to be clear at the top of the table. Heading into the O2 I just need to make sure I’m at the top and get that first semi-final of the night.”
That opening semi-final is more than a mere match; it’s a tactical advantage. And if last year’s playoff is anything to go by, a little extra downtime before the final can make all the difference.
Chasing the Points Record
Beyond nightly crowns and playoff positioning, Littler has set his sights on a yet untapped milestone: the season points record.
Currently level on 40 points with Jonny Clayton’s 2024 haul, Littler sits on 35 with three events to play. A modest six-point pick-up would see him stand alone at the summit.
“I’ve done it last year, why can’t I do it again. The points record as well, that can be broken, but most importantly, these next few weeks I’m just gonna relax and see where the darts land.”
Relaxation—a precious commodity for any top-flight player—but one Littler seems to have mastered as he continues to rewrite the Premier League’s history books.
Frankfurt Bound After All
Off the Premier League trail, questions swirled over whether Littler might snub England’s World Cup squad in Frankfurt this June.
His frustration at a raucous Munich crowd during a recent European Tour event, capped by a since-deleted social post—“Shouldn’t have been in Munich but had to play anyway, next one in Germany for me is Dortmund [in October] and I am glad to say that.”—fanned the flames of speculation.
Yet Sky Sports commentator Stuart Pyke was quick to douse the drama: “The reason he’s pulled out of this weekend’s Euro Tour is scheduling, nothing less. It’s all a bit of fuss out of nothing. He said something, he didn’t mean it,” Pyke told Sky Sports.
And when asked if he’d don the Three Lions in Frankfurt?
“No, no I was always. Luke [Humphries] will want to go back-to-back and obviously I want to win it for the first time.”
“Even though it’s not a major, it’s still playing for your country.”
Partnering world number one Luke Humphries—last year’s World Cup champion alongside Michael Smith—Littler will aim to help England defend their crown and end the country’s eight-year drought.
With Phil Taylor and Adrian Lewis the last English duo to lift the trophy back in 2016, they’ve set the bar high. But if Birmingham told us anything, it’s that the young man from Essex is more than ready to chase glory on home soil.
¹All quotes courtesy of SportsBoom.
