Luke Littler Becomes First to Win Three Premier League Nights This Season
Luke Littler delivered near-peak performance to defeat Michael van Gerwen and secure his third Premier League night victory this season in Berlin.
The 19-year-old surpassed the previous highest average recorded in Berlin, now standing at 108.58, during his semi-final win over Gerwyn Price. However, it was in the final where Littler truly excelled.
He quickly established a 3-0 lead but was soon leveled by seven-time Premier League champion Van Gerwen. Littler maintained his composure to hold leg seven, then executed a remarkable 170 checkout—intentionally leaving a single on his prior turn—to move within one leg of victory.
Despite having the throw in the ninth leg, Van Gerwen broke back, setting the stage for a potential final-leg decider. Nonetheless, world number one Littler elevated his game, delivering another exceptional 170 checkout to clinch his third night win in four weeks.
Van Gerwen, who had not won a match since week two before this event, may find Littler a challenging opponent, as the world champion also achieved a maximum checkout against the Dutchman in Dublin last week.
Littler's triumph propels him to the top of the Premier League standings at the season's halfway mark, marking a significant comeback after sitting seventh following the first four weeks.
"This is definitely the best I've played in a night," Littler told Sky Sports.
Having recently expressed his ambition to surpass Jonny Clayton atop the standings, Littler now appears poised to challenge or exceed his own record of six nightly wins set last year.
Rock Breaks Losing Streak but Falters in Semi-Finals
Northern Ireland's Josh Rock has experienced a challenging debut Premier League season, losing in the quarter-finals during the first seven weeks.
Following a pattern similar to Stephen Bunting in 2025, Rock secured his first points in Berlin with a quarter-final victory over Clayton, who led the standings entering the night. However, Rock's momentum stalled in the semi-finals against Van Gerwen.
Entering the night with the lowest average (91.67) and checkout percentage (21.67%) among the eight players, Rock showed signs of his typical power scoring in Berlin, but his finishing remained below the required standard.
He missed opportunities to extend a 3-0 lead against Van Gerwen, with doubling issues persisting throughout. Rock concluded the match with an 18.75% checkout success rate.
It is possible that the emotional intensity of his quarter-final win, where he was visibly moved and sank to his knees, may have impacted his subsequent performance.
"I had to show my emotions - relief is an understatement. I'm up there to win as much as I can and it just hasn't happened in the first seven weeks but I am on the board now.
Yes, Jonny didn't play up to scratch but neither did I. I was trying too hard because I wanted to win. I proved it [that I deserve to be in the Premier League] in the end."
Premier League Darts Night Eight Results
- Luke Humphries 3-6 Michael van Gerwen
- Luke Littler 6-3 Stephen Bunting
Premier League Darts Week Nine Fixtures
Thursday, 2 April - AO Arena, Manchester
Michael van Gerwen vs Stephen Bunting
Premier League Darts Format and Points System
Premier League Darts consists of 16 weeks in the league stage, with quarter-finals, semi-finals, and a final held each night.
Each of the eight players faces the other seven in the quarter-finals during weeks one to seven and nine to fifteen. Weeks eight and sixteen feature fixtures arranged off the table, leading to a fourth versus fifth matchup in Sheffield on the final league-stage night, with playoff spots potentially at stake.
Players earn two points per quarter-final win, an additional point for winning the semi-final, and five points for winning the night.
The top four players after the group stage advance to the playoff night at London's O2 Arena on 28 May. The semi-finals are best-of-19-leg matches, with first facing fourth and second playing third. The final is contested over the best of 21 legs.
If players are tied on points after 16 weeks, rankings are determined by nights won, followed by matches won.
