Luke Littler produced a dazzling display to win the Premier League night in Liverpool, silencing a hostile crowd that booed him throughout the evening. The 19-year-old Manchester United fan, who is the back-to-back world champion, swept past Luke Humphries, Michael van Gerwen, and Jonny Clayton to claim his third nightly victory of the campaign.
A hostile reception on Merseyside
Littler has never enjoyed a warm welcome in Liverpool, largely due to his allegiance to Manchester United and his social media jabs at Anfield. The mood towards the teenager has soured further in recent weeks following a spat with Gian van Veen in Manchester, and he felt the full force of the crowd at the M&S Bank Arena. However, he let his darts do the talking, responding with a composed and clinical performance.
Victory over Humphries
In his first match, Littler dispatched defending champion Luke Humphries 6-2 with a solid display, leaving Humphries in danger of missing the play-offs at the O2 in May.
Thrilling semi-final against Van Gerwen
Littler then faced Michael van Gerwen in the semi-final. The Dutchman produced a majestic performance, averaging 107.54 and firing nine 180s, but Littler rallied from 3-1 down to win a final-leg decider 6-5.
Dominant final against Clayton
In the final, Littler faced Jonny Clayton, who was seeking a third consecutive nightly win. Littler produced his best display of the evening, sprinting to a 6-1 victory to seal the night.
Littler's reaction
Facing a chorus of boos during his on-stage interview, Littler said: "It's been a good night. I am very happy with myself. It is what it is, I have won, we move on to next week. Rotterdam was way, way louder than this, this week was nothing compared to last week. I have got to forget about it all, I was definitely focused tonight, I wanted to win and that's what I have done."
The victory puts Littler in a strong position to qualify for the play-offs at the O2 at the end of May, while Van Gerwen strengthened his chances and Humphries faces an uphill battle to defend his title.
