Luke Littler has warned rivals he is “back where I should belong” at the top of the Premier League Darts table as he bids for a fourth nightly victory in five weeks in Manchester.
The 19-year-old from Warrington will take centre stage on Night Nine at the AO Arena on Thursday, live on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Action from 7pm. After a slow start to the season, Littler has surged with nightly wins in Cardiff, Dublin and Berlin to move to the top of the standings.
Littler is two points clear of closest challenger Jonny Clayton and is aiming to secure top spot for a third consecutive campaign. There are eight more nights remaining before the top four contest Finals Night at The O2 next month. Gerwyn Price and Michael van Gerwen currently occupy the other top-four places.
“Jonny’s had a great start as well, but there’s no doubt Jonny will keep chasing, everyone’s going to keep chasing for top spot,” Littler said. “Everyone wants it, we know that. We’ve just got to keep going.”
In Berlin last Thursday Littler averaged 105, 108 and 106 across his three wins. He faces Gian van Veen in the quarter-finals in Manchester, a repeat of January’s World Championship final at Alexandra Palace. Van Veen won the pair’s only Premier League meeting so far, advancing to three of the opening four nightly finals on his debut.
Littler believes he carries a “fear factor” into matches, pointing to his comeback win over Gerwyn Price in Dublin, when he recovered from 5-0 down to win. “I don’t think I’m ever out of a game, and against Gezzy, that has shown it,” said the back-to-back world champion. “I’m just up there doing my job and sometimes I’ve got that 1-0, 2-0 lead before I get on stage because that’s how players think, so they’re beat before they’ve even played me. Some players, when they play me, it’s their final.”
On targets for reaching The O2, Littler said recent seasons suggest around 25–26 points gets you in, but he joked he’ll call it 30 points before declaring himself safe. Looking further ahead, he admitted longevity in the game depends on his motivation: “That’s all down to myself whether I want it for the next 10–15 years, whether I’m financially settled and I’ve done everything I wanted to do. Like Michael said, once the fire goes out of the belly that’s when we pack it in.”
What’s happening on Night Nine in Manchester?
Night Nine at the AO Arena sees Littler continue his pursuit of a fourth nightly crown, meeting Gian van Veen in the quarter-finals. The evening’s card also features:
– Michael van Gerwen vs Stephen Bunting
– Gerwyn Price vs Luke Humphries
– Jonny Clayton vs Josh Rock
Ranking points are awarded each night — five to the winner, three to the runner-up and two to the semi-finalists — to form the league table from which the top four will progress to Finals Night at The O2 on Thursday May 28.
Luke Humphries is the defending Premier League champion. The BetMGM Premier League season continues with weekly Thursday action on Sky Sports through to May.