Gerwyn Price secured victory on night three of the Premier League in Dublin, defeating Nathan Aspinall 6-3 in the final after earlier overcoming world champion Luke Littler.
Price, who wore an Ireland green shirt to win over the crowd, put on an impressive display throughout the night. He started with a 6-4 win over Littler in the quarter-finals before taking down world No. 1 Luke Humphries in the semis, again by a 6-3 scoreline.
Aspinall, meanwhile, earned his place in the final with a hard-fought 6-3 win over Michael van Gerwen, having earlier claimed his first match win of the tournament by beating Rob Cross.
In the final, Price maintained his strong scoring and sharp finishing. The crucial moment came in the seventh leg when he secured a break of throw before nailing an 18 finish to move within one leg of victory. With Aspinall left on 187, Price set up a match dart at double top and hit it on his next throw, sealing a dominant performance with a game average of over 100.
Price’s quarter-final win against Littler had already showcased his fine form. Landing five 180s and averaging just over 102, he prevented the young world champion from mounting a comeback. Littler, who had won the previous week’s event, showed signs of frustration, especially after missing chances to turn the match around.
Though the atmosphere in Dublin was lively, it did not reach the levels of disruption seen in Glasgow the previous week, where the referee had to intervene due to excessive whistling and jeering from the crowd. However, there were still moments of tension. Littler, after completing a 109 checkout to reduce the deficit to 4-2, turned to the audience and gestured for them to calm down. Unlike his dramatic comeback in Scotland against Cross, he was unable to overturn the deficit this time. Price, the 2021 world champion, extended his winning streak over Littler to five matches. The young star, visibly frustrated, threw his darts to the ground as he exited the stage.
Elsewhere in the night’s action, Humphries kicked things off with a 6-3 victory over Stephen Bunting, leaving ‘The Bullet’ still searching for his first win of the competition. Aspinall followed by getting his first points on the board with a 6-3 win over Cross. Van Gerwen, who has struggled to make the final in this year’s event, took down Chris Dobey 6-4 with a bullseye finish before being eliminated by Aspinall in the semis.
With three weeks of competition completed, Humphries sits at the top of the standings with 10 points. Price’s victory moves him up to second place with seven, while Van Gerwen follows on six. Littler is currently in fourth with five points as the Premier League moves on to Exeter for week four.
