Littler Faces Hostile Crowd in Brighton, Exits Premier League Quarter-Final

Luke Littler suffered a disappointing defeat to Stephen Bunting in the Premier League quarter-final, with his exit potentially linked to the controversy surrounding his spat with Gian van Veen last week. The 19-year-old world champion recorded his lowest PDC TV average, failing to hit a single maximum as he struggled to cope with a hostile crowd in Brighton. Former Premier League star Wayne Mardle believes Littler's performance was a 'knock-on' effect from the incident, stating that he looked 'flat' and was 'lobbing the darts' at times. Bunting, who turned 41 on Thursday, secured a hard-fought win despite struggling with his doubles, hitting just six of his 21 attempts. The victory marked a significant turnaround for Bunting, who had been gifted multiple opportunities by Littler's poor start. Meanwhile, Jonny Clayton produced a stunning comeback to beat Michael Van Gerwen in the final, moving three points ahead of Littler in the table. The Welshman admitted that he thought the game was over at one point but managed to rally and secure the win. The Premier League continues next week in Rotterdam, with Dutch No 1 Gian van Veen hosting Luke Humphries and Michael van Gerwen facing Jonny Clayton.