Luke Littler stunned the Liverpool crowd with a resounding 6-1 victory over Jonny Clayton on Night 12, significantly closing the gap at the top of the Premier League table. Clayton maintains his lead with 32 points, but Littler is now just three points behind, having amassed 29 points. Gerwyn Price holds the third spot with 19 points, followed closely by Michael van Gerwen with 18 points. Gian van Veen and defending champion Luke Humphries trail with 14 and 13 points, respectively, as the competition intensifies with only four regular weeks remaining.
Littler's win, his fourth nightly victory, showcased his determination as he withstood the hostile Liverpool audience, who were firmly behind his opponent. He demonstrated exceptional strength, particularly in his doubles, to secure a crucial win in his pursuit of topping the table by Finals Night. 'It was a great night, and I'm extremely pleased with my performance,' Littler expressed to Sky Sports. 'My doubling was spot on, which made all the difference, especially at critical moments.' Littler is now focused on chasing the top spot, stating, 'I'm close to Jonny, just three points away.
I'll keep pushing to finish at the top, and if it doesn't happen, it's not meant to be. But with four weeks left, anything can happen.' In the final match against Clayton, Littler dominated, racing to a 5-0 lead.
Although Clayton managed to avoid a whitewash, Littler's victory was merely delayed by one leg. Earlier, Littler overcame Michael van Gerwen in a thrilling semi-final, displaying vintage Van Gerwen with nine maximums and a 107.54 average. However, Littler persevered, adapting his strategy to outmaneuver Van Gerwen.
The match seemed to be in Van Gerwen's favor when he broke Littler's throw, but Littler broke back, setting himself up for a decisive win. A pivotal 180 in the final leg allowed Littler to secure the victory.
Luke Humphries suffered a significant setback in his bid for the Premier League finals, losing 6-2 to Littler in the quarter-finals. Despite scoring higher, Humphries' doubling was inconsistent, enabling Littler to take a commanding 4-0 lead. Clayton secured his spot in the final with a captivating 6-5 win over Gian van Veen, marking his sixth nightly final appearance. Van Veen initially led 2-0, but Clayton showed his resilience, eventually leveling the game and clinching a remarkable 156 checkout to move within one leg of victory.
After Van Veen leveled the scores at 5-5, Clayton capitalized on his opponent's missed match dart to seal the win. Clayton also navigated a nail-biting 6-5 quarter-final against Stephen Bunting, maintaining his composure to win on D8. This victory marked Clayton's ninth quarter-final win in 12 weeks, underscoring his consistency throughout the Premier League. Elsewhere, Van Veen debuted new darts, securing a hard-fought 6-4 win against Gerwyn Price, while Van Gerwen started his night with a comprehensive 6-3 win over Josh Rock.
The Premier League Darts continues every Thursday until May, with Luke Humphries defending his title, and all the action can be streamed on Sky Sports with NOW.