Luke Littler continued his impressive run in the Premier League with a commanding 6-3 victory over Nathan Aspinall in the Brighton final, securing his second nightly win of the competition. The evening was marked by two stunning nine-dart finishes, as Luke Humphries and Rob Cross both produced perfect legs in earlier matches.
Littler, fresh off his UK Open triumph the previous weekend, once again demonstrated his dominance. After easing past Michael van Gerwen 6-2 in the semi-finals, he controlled much of the final against Aspinall. Despite an early 3-1 lead, he found himself pegged back to 3-3, but decisive breaks in the seventh and ninth legs sealed the victory.
The Premier League standings remain tight at the top, with Humphries maintaining a narrow two-point lead over Littler on 15 points. Aspinall and Van Gerwen are further behind, tied on eight points each.
Reflecting on his performance, Littler expressed confidence in his form, stating that his darts were landing better than ever. He reiterated his primary goal of securing a top-four finish to qualify for the O2 Arena playoffs, where the title will ultimately be decided. With his focus now shifting to the Euro Tour, he remains determined to build on his recent success.
Aspinall had earlier edged past Cross in a dramatic 6-5 semi-final, overcoming a 4-2 deficit. Cross had produced a moment of brilliance with a 141 checkout, hitting treble 19, treble 16, and double 18, but Aspinall held his nerve in the deciding leg.
Humphries had also delivered a nine-darter in his quarter-final match against Cross, but despite that brilliance, he was ultimately defeated 6-4. The world number one had initially surged ahead with a perfect second leg, taking a 2-0 lead, but Cross fought back, levelling the match before reeling off four consecutive legs to complete a stunning comeback. Cross finished with a 111 match average and seven 180s in a high-quality encounter.
Van Gerwen, a seven-time Premier League champion, opened the night with a 6-3 win over Gerwyn Price, capitalizing on Price’s struggles with doubles. Littler also had a difficult start in his own quarter-final, falling 2-0 behind against Chris Dobey. However, he recovered well to force a deciding leg, where he clinched victory with a clinical 110 checkout on tops.
Elsewhere, Stephen Bunting remained without points in the competition after a 6-2 defeat against Aspinall, extending his difficult start to the campaign.
With the Premier League heating up, Littler’s latest triumph keeps him firmly in contention at the top, as he continues to prove himself as one of the most exciting young talents in darts.
