Luke Littler took the jeering in Liverpool in stride after clinching his twelfth night victory in the Premier League, insisting that the hostile reaction he endured on Night 11 in Rotterdam was "the worst he has ever experienced". In recent weeks Littler has become all too familiar with negative chants from the audience, a trend that reached its peak during his clash with Dutch No.1 Gian van Veen on Night Nine in Manchester.

Van Veen secured a contentious win after Littler erupted in anger when his opponent turned toward him while throwing match darts. The Dutchman accused Littler of being "out of order" for "celebrating towards the crowd", a comment that sparked a wave of boos whenever Littler stepped onto the stage for the three matches that led up to the Night 11 final in Rotterdam, a venue packed with Van Veen’s home supporters.

Even in Liverpool, Littler was not greeted with applause. Nonetheless, he silenced the dissenting crowd at the M&S Bank Arena by dispatching Luke Humphries, Michael van Gerwen and Jonny Clayton in succession, securing his fifth consecutive nightly triumph. The win left him just three points behind Clayton at the summit of the league with four regular weeks still to play.

For Littler, the Rotterdam incident was a test of his mental resilience, and he made it clear that nothing would shake his focus. "It is what it is," he told Sky Sports after his Liverpool victory, "I’ve won and we move on to next week." He added that the noise in Rotterdam was far louder than what he faced in Liverpool, noting, "Rotterdam was way louder than this tonight.

This week was nothing compared to last week. But I just have to forget about it.

I was focused, I definitely wanted to win tonight and that’s exactly what I did." Littler later emphasized that he had already demonstrated his ability to perform under pressure the previous week, saying, "I even proved to people last week that I can win games under those circumstances and I’ve done it again. There is no anxiety there. I just expect the worst but it was not worse than Rotterdam.

That is the worst I have experienced. It is good to come through those games under those circumstances." It has now been three weeks since the original spat between Littler and Van Veen, a dispute that ignited a lingering dislike for Littler among certain crowds.

Although the two have not spoken since the incident, Littler believes both players have moved beyond the drama. He expressed a willingness to settle the score on the dartboard when they eventually meet again, stating, "No, we have not spoken, but I’m not the type of person to go up and talk to him or something like that.

Maybe he is waiting for me to go and talk to him, but I’m not the type of person. Even in the practice room, people will talk to me first.

I am not the type of person to be chatting away. We can obviously settle it on the dartboard.

In the back room it has just been normal. It has just been the same preparation-wise. I think he’s forgotten about it.

I forgot about it. If I need to talk to him, then I will.

I don’t regret anything. Obviously, I had my opinion, he has got his opinion, so we are all entitled to it. I think we have both moved on with our game on stage, but off stage, obviously, we’ve not spoken. But yeah, I’m sure we will." Looking ahead, the Premier League Darts race remains wide open.

Defending champion Luke Humphries will be aiming to retain his title, with matches broadcast every Thursday until May on Sky Sports. Fans can stream the action via NOW, alongside a host of other top‑level sporting events.

Littler’s ability to thrive amid hostile environments will be a key storyline as the league approaches its climax, and whether he can maintain his winning streak against the likes of Humphries, van Gerwen and Clayton will shape the final standings. The drama between Littler and Van Veen also promises a potential high‑stakes showdown later in the season, adding another layer of intrigue to an already compelling competition.