Luke Littler claimed his second nightly Premier League win of the season in Dublin, and he says he’s closing in on league leader Jonny Clayton.
Littler opened the night at the 3Arena with a 6-3 victory over Stephen Bunting, then edged Michael van Gerwen in a last-leg semi-final. In the final he produced a stunning recovery against Gerwyn Price: trailing 5-0, Littler took a leg to shift momentum, survived five match darts from Price and forced a decider, ultimately finishing off the night by checking out 81 on double 15.
After the win Littler spoke about his season ambitions, saying he wants to keep narrowing the gap on Clayton after finishing top of the table the past two years. The result moved Littler up to second in the standings on 16 points, three behind Clayton, with Price sitting third.
The 19-year-old also reacted to the volatile Dublin crowd, who booed at times but also helped create an electric atmosphere. He admitted he’s still learning not to let the crowd influence him, noting how quickly noise can flip from boos to cheers. When asked about wearing a green shirt for Dublin, he joked it might be considered well down the line but not anytime soon.
Night Eight of the BetMGM Premier League takes place in Berlin on Thursday, March 26 at the Mercedes-Benz Arena. Littler begins that night against Stephen Bunting as he bids for a third nightly victory of the campaign.
Quarter-final pairings for Night Eight are:
– Jonny Clayton vs Josh Rock
– Luke Humphries vs Michael van Gerwen
– Luke Littler vs Stephen Bunting
– Gerwyn Price vs Gian van Veen
Organizers say quarter-final draws are used in bracket order for 14 of the 16 league nights; Nights Eight and 16 are set by the league table standings at those points in the season. Luke Humphries will be defending his Premier League title this year.