Luke Littler quieted the vocal Liverpool supporters and tightened the Premier League race with a commanding 6-1 triumph over Jonny Clayton on Night 12 of the competition. The victory narrowed the points gap at the summit, leaving Littler just three points behind the league leader, who remains on 32 points after four weeks of play remain.
Clayton, despite the loss, stays atop the table, while Littler’s 29 points put him firmly in contention. Behind the two leaders, Gerwyn Price occupies third place with 19 points, and Michael van Gerwen sits fourth on 18. Gian van Veen follows on 14 points, and defending champion Luke Humphries is sixth with 13, underscoring how quickly the battle for the season‑ending Finals Night is heating up. This win marks Littler’s fourth nightly victory of the campaign.
The Manchester‑born youngster endured a chorus of jeers from the partisan Liverpool crowd, who largely backed his opponent throughout the evening. Nevertheless, Littler remained composed, especially when it came to finishing doubles, and secured a crucial win that could see him finish the league in first place. "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 very close to Jonny now, three points off.
I'm going to go chasing – I want to finish top once again – and if it’s not to be, it’s not to be. But there are still four weeks to go." In the final against Clayton, Littler raced to a 5‑0 lead, denying the Welshman any foothold early on. Clayton’s only early checkout chances came from the bullseye, and although he managed to stop the rout and avoid a whitewash, the effort only delayed the inevitable, with Littler clinching the match in the seventh leg.
Littler’s path to the semi‑final had already featured a dramatic comeback against Michael van Gerwen. After falling behind 3‑1, the world number one produced a series of high‑pressure finishes to level the match and eventually win 6‑5. Van Gerwen displayed his usual brilliance, hitting nine maximums, converting 71% of his doubles and posting a 107.54 average, yet Littler’s resilience and tactical adjustments on the oche allowed him to edge the Dutchman. The semi‑final saw van Gerwen break Littler’s throw with an 11‑dart finish to go 5‑4 ahead, setting up a match‑winning throw.
Littler responded instantly, breaking back, celebrating the break, and then taking the deciding leg. In the final dart, van Gerwen hit a 180, leaving himself on 46, which he finished with a top‑board double before the crowd erupted. Meanwhile, Luke Humphries suffered a heavy 6‑2 defeat at the hands of Littler in the quarter‑finals, effectively ending his hopes of climbing the Premier League standings. Although Humphries scored heavily, his double conversion rate slipped to just 18%, allowing Littler to surge ahead with four consecutive legs and build a 4‑0 lead.
Humphries managed to hold his throw twice, but it was insufficient, marking his seventh loss to the world number one in their last eight meetings. Jonny Clayton, despite the loss to Littler, secured his place in a sixth nightly final by edging Gian van Veen 6‑5 in a thrilling encounter. Van Veen started strongly, taking a 2‑0 lead, but Clayton demonstrated his battle‑hardened reputation, surviving a series of break‑throw exchanges, holding his own, and delivering a massive 121 checkout to level the match at 3‑3. The Welshman then produced a spectacular 156 checkout, moving one leg away from victory.
Van Veen fought back, breaking again to tie the scores at 5‑5, but missed a match dart at the bull. Clayton responded with a maximum and then took a double 16 under pressure to claim the win. Clayton also survived a nail‑biting 6‑5 quarter‑final against hometown favourite Stephen Bunting.
The match was a pure throw‑and‑hold battle, and Clayton, as he has throughout the league, stayed calm, grew into the game, and clinched the decider on double 8, much to the disappointment of the Liverpool‑based crowd. This consistency has seen Clayton notch his ninth quarter‑final victory in twelve weeks of Premier League action. Elsewhere on Night 12, Gian van Veen opened his night by edging a close 6‑4 win over Gerwyn Price, debuting a new set of darts in the process. Michael van Gerwen also enjoyed a smooth evening, dispatching Josh Rock 6‑3.
Looking ahead, the question remains: who will lift the Premier League trophy this year? Defending champion Luke Humphries will be aiming to retain his title, and fans can follow the drama every Thursday until May on Sky Sports or stream the action via NOW.
The league’s final weeks promise further twists, with the top three spots still within reach for several contenders, and every leg could prove decisive in the race to the coveted Finals Night.