Luke Littler quieted the vocal Liverpool supporters and narrowed the Premier League leaders' margin with a commanding 6-1 triumph over Jonny Clayton on Night 12. The victory moved Littler to just three points behind the league‑topper, who remains on 32 points with four regular weeks still to play. Clayton, still perched at the summit, now faces a tighter race as Littler climbs to 29 points. Behind them, Gerwyn Price occupies third place with 19 points, while Michael van Gerwen sits fourth on 18.
Gian van Veen follows on 14 points and defending champion Luke Humphries is sixth with 13, setting the stage for a decisive run‑in to the Finals Night. This win marks Littler’s fourth nightly success of the season. The Manchester‑born competitor endured a chorus of jeers from a largely partisan Liverpool crowd that had been backing his opponent throughout the evening.
Despite the hostile atmosphere, Littler remained composed, particularly on the doubles, and clinched a vital victory that could see him enter the Finals Night in the top spot. "It was a good night. I'm very happy with myself," Littler told Sky Sports after the match. He added, "Usually the doubling is not there, but I’m very thankful it was tonight – a lot of crucial doubles at crucial times.
I’m now only three points behind Jonny. I’ll keep chasing – I want to finish top again – and if it doesn’t happen, it won’t. We still have four weeks left." In the final against Clayton, Littler surged to a 5‑0 lead, denying the Welshman any chance to get into the contest. Clayton’s only checkout opportunities in the first three legs were on the bullseye.
Although he managed to stop the rout and avoid a whitewash, his resistance only delayed Littler’s win by a single leg. Littler also overcame a fierce challenge from Michael van Gerwen in a 6‑5 semi‑final. Van Gerwen produced a vintage display, hitting nine maximums, converting 71% of his doubles and posting a 107.54 average.
Yet Littler adjusted his darts, recovered from a 3‑1 deficit, and demonstrated superior finishing to edge the match. At one point van Gerwen broke Littler’s throw with an 11‑dart finish to lead 5‑4 and seemed poised to close out the game. Littler responded by breaking back immediately, celebrating the break and eventually taking the deciding leg.
In the final leg, the world No 1 hit a 180 at a critical moment, set himself up on 46, and finished on the bull, handing the crowd a spectacular finish despite the loss. The quarter‑finals also delivered drama. Luke Humphries suffered a heavy 6‑2 defeat to Littler, effectively ending his hopes of accumulating more points for the Premier League finals night.
Although Humphries scored higher overall, his double conversion rate plummeted to just 18%, allowing Littler to race to a 4‑0 lead by stringing together four consecutive legs. Humphries managed to hold his throw twice, but it was insufficient, marking his seventh loss to the world No 1 in their last eight meetings.
Jonny Clayton secured his place in a sixth nightly final with a thrilling 6‑5 victory over Gian van Veen. Van Veen started strongly, leading 2‑0, but Clayton’s battle‑hardened experience shone through as he weathered a series of breaks, eventually holding his own and producing a massive 121 checkout to level the match at 3‑3.
Clayton then hit a spectacular 156 checkout to move within one leg of victory. Van Veen fought back, breaking again to tie the scores at 5‑5.
After missing a match dart at the bull, Van Veen allowed Clayton to hit a maximum, after which Clayton finished on double 16 under pressure to clinch the win. Earlier in the evening, Clayton had also survived a nail‑biting 6‑5 quarter‑final against hometown favourite Stephen Bunting. The match was a pure throw‑battle, and as he has done throughout the Premier League, Clayton remained calm, grew into the contest, and sealed the win on double 8 in a tense decider, much to the disappointment of the Liverpool supporters. This consistency has seen Clayton amass nine quarter‑final victories over the twelve‑week league.
Other notable results from Night 12 included Gian van Veen edging out Gerwyn Price 6‑4 in a close encounter, showcasing his newly introduced darts. Michael van Gerwen opened his night with a solid 6‑3 win over Josh Rock, reinforcing his position among the tournament’s front‑runners. As the Premier League darts season approaches its climax, the question of who will ultimately claim the title looms large. Defending champion Luke Humphries will look to retain his crown, while the field remains wide open with several players capable of a late‑season surge.
Fans can follow the action each Thursday until May on Sky Sports, and stream the matches along with other top‑level sports through the NOW platform.