Luke Littler fought back to see off Michael van Gerwen 6-4 to win night 13 of the Premier League in Birmingham, setting a new record with a fifth overall evening victory of the season.
Littler, the world champion, had beaten Stephen Bunting 6-5 in the opening quarter-final at the Utilita Arena, leaving Bunting still bottom of the table, before also edging past Nathan Aspinall in a last-leg decider.
After defeating Rob Cross earlier in the evening, Van Gerwen regrouped to get past last week’s nightly winner, Gerwyn Price, and secure his spot in the final. Van Gerwen – still chasing a first overall nightly win this year – made a strong start, breaking Littler in the opening leg and then opening up a 3-1 lead.
However Littler, the defending Premier League champion, then capitalised on some misplaced darts from the Dutchman to break back before moving 4-3 in front after more heavy scoring.
Van Gerwen had the throw in the next leg, but Littler was again first down to a finish only to miss tops. After Van Gerwen failed to take out double 10, Littler nailed 40 at the second time of asking to wrap up a fifth win on the back of a 102.5 match average. Littler tops the table with 35 points, nine clear of Luke Humphries, with Price third and Van Gerwen now up into the final playoff spot.
“Once I got over the finish line in my first game against Stephen, I was confident,” Littler said. “I got away with it against Nathan [in the semi-final], but then [the final] was a cracking game.
“I have enjoyed it right the way through, and I’ll certainly relax. Luke [Humphries] isn’t playing his best darts at the minute so I’m gradually building that point advantage over his so I am very confident I will finish top of the table.”
In the semi-finals, Littler eventually got past Aspinall in a close contest, with the world champion having survived a match dart before taking out 46 on double 10 against the throw. Van Gerwen, a seven-time Premier League champion, hit five maximums in a solid 6-3 victory over Price, who had beaten the world No 1, Humphries, in the quarter-finals.
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In the opening match of the night, Bunting had broken Littler in the first leg then held to lead 2-0 and 3-1 before the 18-year-old recovered from his slow start to take the eighth leg and level up at 4-4. Littler missed the bullseye on match dart to finish off 170, as Bunting came back to hold and force a deciding leg, which the teenager eventually edged on double five.
The Premier League next heads to Leeds for night 14, after which there will be two more events ahead of the playoffs at the O2 in London on 29 May.