Luke Littler admits he still has a long journey ahead before he can claim the mantle of "the greatest ever" in darts, yet he remains driven to tick off the milestones on his personal checklist, beginning with a back‑to‑back triumph at the World Matchplay in Blackpool. His recent 11‑8 victory over Nathan Aspinall not only secured a place in the quarter‑finals against Josh Rock but also nudged him a step closer to that ambition. The match was a showcase of pure brilliance from the young Englishman. He opened the contest with a flawless nine‑dart finish, a feat that instantly electrified the arena.
In the fourth leg he came agonisingly close to a second perfect leg, missing only the double fifteen by a whisker. Throughout the encounter Littler also launched fourteen 180s, and his three‑dart average of 113.68 ranks as the second‑highest ever recorded at the World Matchplay, trailing only Phil Taylor’s 114.99 in 2010. Littler’s aim now is to become the first player since Michael van Gerwen in 2017 to retain the Blackpool title. The current world No.
1 already holds the World Darts Championship, the UK Open, the Premier League and the Masters, and he is also defending the Matchplay, Grand Slam, Grand Prix and the Players Championship Finals. With a clean sweep still firmly in his sights, Littler must start the defence of his seaside crown. The question on everyone’s mind is just how near he is to achieving the status of "the greatest ever". "Obviously that talk's been going on for, I think, from when I first came onto the scene, it was 'will he be the next Phil Taylor?'" Littler reflected.
He added that his own benchmark for greatness is staggering: "I have always said, unless I win 16 of these – 16 World Championships and whatever else – then I think I will be the greatest. Am I going to be around in 16 years' time? Who knows?
If I win 16 back‑to‑back World Championships, I am gone." During his epic battle with Aspinall, Littler fell just one double fifteen short of achieving two nine‑dart legs in a single match – a milestone that only Taylor has managed on television. While the opening nine‑dart finish was a sensational moment, Littler hinted that his practice routines may have given him a subconscious sense that another perfect leg could be on the horizon. "I just want to produce my best stats every game I play and I think I have done it again tonight," he said after the match.
"At one point I was at the highest average and Phil had 114, so I know that record is there to be broken. Everyone is asking me how I did it, but I don’t really know. It was the first leg of the game and then to go on and miss the double fifteen again was really gutting – not hitting two in a game." He even recounted a quirky rehearsal at home: "I was practising at home today and I did a first‑to‑11 against the dart bot.
I actually missed the double fifteen and then my sister's boyfriend went, ‘oh, you’re c**p, you.’ I was saving it till later. And I hit it." Despite the disappointment of losing such a dramatic and enthralling encounter, Aspinall chose to view the defeat as fuel for future success. He described the match as the best he has ever experienced and pledged to channel the experience into renewed hunger.
In a post‑match statement on social media he wrote: "The most enjoyable game of darts I have played in my career. Had absolutely everything and I gave it my all.
Fair play to Luke Littler, you were simply unreal. Six treble‑less visits in 19 legs is the stat that jumps out to me. Wow.
That has certainly given me the hunger back. Support was unreal as per." The World Matchplay continues on Wednesday with four more high‑stakes clashes broadcast live on Sky Sports.
Cameron Menzies will look to build on his impressive win over world No. 2 Luke Humphries when he meets Ross Smith. Gerwyn Price is set to face fellow former world champion Rob Cross.
World No. 3 Gian van Veen will take on in‑form Dutchman Wessel Nijman, while James Wade squares off against Ryan Searle.
All eyes will be on Littler as he defends his title, and fans can follow every throw on Sky Sports or stream the action via NOW, which offers darts coverage without a long‑term contract. The tournament promises more drama, more high scores and perhaps another historic moment as the young prodigy strives to etch his name alongside the legends of the sport.