Luke Littler added insult to injury after defeating Michael van Gerwen yet again, this time in the quarter-finals of the Players Championship 8 in Leicester on April 30, 2025, with a 6-4 victory, extending his head-to-head dominance. The 18-year-old world champion, known for his psychological edge, cheekily remarked to Sky Sports, “Beating Michael again feels good. He’s probably sick of me by now, but I’ll keep turning up.” This quip rubbed salt in Van Gerwen’s wounds, as Littler has now won eight of their last 11 encounters, including a 7-3 thrashing in the 2025 PDC World Darts Championship final and a 6-4 Premier League night win in Cardiff, where Littler hit a nine-darter.
Littler’s relentless scoring, averaging 104.2 in Leicester, and pinpoint finishing on doubles, particularly double 10, overwhelmed Van Gerwen, who averaged a respectable 99.8 but struggled with a 33% checkout rate. Posts on X captured the sentiment, with @DartsCentral noting, “Littler’s got MvG’s number now, another clinical win.” Van Gerwen, a three-time world champion, admitted post-match, “Luke’s in my head a bit, but I’ll find a way back.” This loss adds to Van Gerwen’s challenging 2025, with only one title (Masters) compared to Littler’s five, including the World Championship and Premier League.
The darts landscape mirrors the intense competition seen in tennis, where Coco Gauff’s 6-1, 6-1 demolition of Iga Swiatek on clay and Jannik Sinner’s Italian Open return signal young stars asserting dominance. Littler’s psychological jab and consistent victories over Van Gerwen underscore his status as darts’ new king, with the upcoming European Championship (May 8–11, 2025) offering Van Gerwen a chance for redemption.
