Littler Suffers Early Exit in Brighton, Bunting Secures Victory

World champion Luke Littler faced a tough crowd in Brighton, resulting in his lowest PDC TV average, as he was defeated by Stephen Bunting in the Premier League quarter-final. This loss follows his highly publicized spat with Gian van Veen last week, leading Wayne Mardle to suggest that Littler's exit may have been a 'knock-on' effect from the incident. Littler, who changed his darts during the match, showed little reaction to the loss and averaged only 83.94, failing to hit a single maximum. Former Premier League star Mardle felt that Littler was not at his usual standard, looking 'flat' and lobbing darts rather than throwing with his usual directness. Bunting, who recently turned 41, secured a win despite struggling with his doubles, hitting just six of his 21 attempts. Littler's early exit has given Jonny Clayton the opportunity to move ahead in the table, after the Welshman produced a stunning comeback to beat Michael Van Gerwen in the final. The Premier League continues, with Rotterdam set to host the next night of action, featuring key matches including Luke Humphries against Gian van Veen and Luke Littler against Gerwyn Price.