Littler Booed in Brighton: Was His Exit a 'Knock-On' Effect from Van Veen Spat?

Luke Littler faced a hostile crowd in Brighton, resulting in his lowest PDC TV average in a defeat to Stephen Bunting. This loss has sparked speculation that Littler's exit was a 'knock-on' effect from his recent spat with Gian van Veen. A week after the incident in Manchester, Littler suffered another early loss in the Premier League quarter-final. He was booed upon entering the Brighton Centre and struggled to recover from a poor start, ultimately averaging 83.94 and failing to hit a single maximum. Former Premier League star Wayne Mardle believes Littler's performance was affected by the previous week's events, stating that it would be a coincidence if the two were unrelated. Bunting, who won the match, addressed the crowd's behavior towards Littler, saying, 'Thankfully, he is human! It's tough because the crowd was giving him some stick.' Meanwhile, three-time world champion John Part noted that Littler 'didn't look interested' during the match. Jonny Clayton moved ahead of Littler in the table after a stunning comeback against Michael Van Gerwen. The Welshman recorded his third nightly win of the year, securing a spot at the top of the table. The Premier League Darts will continue in Rotterdam, with crucial matches scheduled, including Luke Humphries against Gian van Veen and Luke Littler against Gerwyn Price.