Littler's Brighton Defeat: A Fallout from Van Veen Dispute?

Luke Littler suffered a disappointing loss to Stephen Bunting in the Premier League quarter-final, recording his lowest televised PDC average of 83.94, and former Premier League star Wayne Mardle believes this defeat may be linked to his spat with Gian van Veen last week. Littler was booed by the crowd in Brighton and struggled to regain his composure, eventually losing the match. Mardle thinks that Littler's performance was affected by the previous week's incident, saying it would be a coincidence if it had no impact. Bunting, who won the match, expressed his sympathy for Littler, stating that he is a fantastic lad and didn't deserve the hostile treatment from the crowd. Meanwhile, Jonny Clayton made a stunning comeback to beat Michael Van Gerwen, moving three points ahead of Littler in the table. The Premier League continues, with the next match featuring Dutch No 1 Gian van Veen hosting Luke Humphries in Rotterdam.