Littler's Exit from Premier League Quarter-Finals: A 'Knock-On' Effect from Van Veen Dispute?

Luke Littler faced a hostile crowd in Brighton, resulting in his lowest PDC TV average in a defeat to Stephen Bunting. According to Wayne Mardle, this loss may have been a 'knock-on' effect from Littler's spat with Gian van Veen the previous week. Littler was booed upon entering the Brighton Centre and struggled to recover from a poor start, ultimately losing with an average of 83.94 and failing to hit a single maximum. Former Premier League star Mardle believes Littler was not at his usual standard, stating, 'It would be more of a coincidence if we said it had nothing to do with last week.' Bunting, who turned 41 on Thursday, secured a win despite struggling with doubles, hitting just six of his 21 attempts. Littler showed little reaction to the loss, shaking Bunting's hand and exiting the stage meekly. The boos directed towards Littler were addressed by Bunting, who said, 'Thankfully, he is human! It's tough because the crowd was giving him some stick.' Three-time world champion John Part noted that Littler 'didn't look interested' during his subdued display, saying, 'Stephen did what he had to do. It must have been off-putting watching Luke and how he played.' Jonny Clayton moved three points ahead of Littler in the table by producing a stunning comeback to beat Michael Van Gerwen in a gripping final. The Welshman confirmed that Littler and Van Veen practiced in different rooms at the Brighton Centre, stating, 'They're always in separate practice rooms... I don't think there's anything of it, it's just the way it happens.' Clayton struck a majestic 140 checkout to take a 1-0 lead in the final against Van Gerwen but found himself trailing 3-1 and then 5-2 after a fantastic surge by Van Gerwen. However, Clayton rallied in a remarkable comeback, surviving two match darts at 5-2 down and another pair of match darts at 5-4 down before levelling the contest with another 84 kill on the bullseye to make it 5-5. The 51-year-old then saw out the last-leg decider with a composed 12-darter to complete the comeback and seal nightly victory on the south coast in style. Clayton admitted, 'I thought the game was over,' but managed to take his chances and secure the win. The BetMGM Premier League moves to Rotterdam, where Dutch No 1 Gian van Veen will host Luke Humphries, and Michael van Gerwen will face Jonny Clayton. Luke Littler will face Gerwyn Price in a crucial battle near the top of the table, while Stephen Bunting hopes to make further inroads towards the Play-Offs as he takes on Josh Rock.