Jonny Clayton strengthened his position at the top of the Premier League Darts standings with a 6-4 win over Luke Littler in the Rotterdam final, marking his fourth nightly victory of the 2026 campaign. This back-to-back success, following his win in Brighton, solidifies Clayton's lead with a five-point advantage.
Clayton now has 29 points, ahead of Littler with 24 points, Gerwyn Price with 19 points, and Michael van Gerwen with 16 points. His performance puts him in a strong position to secure a spot at the Finals Night at The O2 in May. Littler, despite reaching his fourth nightly final, was unable to secure the win. However, he did manage to silence the Rotterdam crowd after they booed him during his walk-on for the quarter-final against Price.
The night saw two Dutch players, Gian van Veen and van Gerwen, participate in the Premier League for the first time since 2019, but both lost in the quarter-finals. Clayton reflected on his win, stating that he was motivated by comments suggesting he might finish at the bottom of the Premier League. He expressed his respect for Littler, calling him an 'amazing' darts player, but also emphasized his own determination, saying 'this old dog has got some life in him yet.' The match between Clayton and Littler was closely contested, with Clayton coming back from 2-0 down to win 6-4. He also showed his ability to win under pressure, taking out D20 to secure the game.
In the semi-finals, Clayton had a tough match against Josh Rock, eventually winning 6-5. Rock produced a remarkable 142 checkout to take the match to a decider, but Clayton's efficient throwing allowed him to take out tops and secure his spot in the final.
Earlier, Clayton dominated van Gerwen 6-2, ending the Dutchman's hopes of a home win. The Welshman took five legs in a row before van Gerwen could respond, and then wrapped up the match with a strong finish.
Littler started the night by defeating Price 6-3, silencing the crowd after they booed him during his walk-on. He then faced Luke Humphries in the semi-finals, winning 6-5 after a tense match. Despite Humphries' fightback, Littler held his nerve to take out D10 and reach the final.
Other results from the night included Humphries' 6-3 win over Van Veen and Rock's 6-1 demolition of Stephen Bunting. The Premier League Darts continues every Thursday until May, with Clayton in a strong position to defend his title.