Wayne Mardle blames Gian van Veen spat for Luke Littler’s lowest-ever TV average in Premier League Brighton nightmare

Luke Littler was booed by his own sport’s fans and slumped to the worst televised performance of his career as the fallout from last week’s explosive bust-up with Gian van Veen well and truly followed him to Brighton.

The world champion was subjected to jeers as he entered the Brighton Centre for his quarter-final against Stephen Bunting and then endured ironic cheers during a poor start from which he could never recover. He averaged only 84 and failed to hit a single maximum — the 19-year-old’s lowest average in a televised PDC match. He lost 6-4 to Bunting, who turned 41 on the night, and left the stage without reaction, shaking Bunting’s hand quietly before walking off.

Sky Sports pundit Wayne Mardle had no hesitation in identifying the cause. “I’m assuming tonight was a reaction to last week, although I don’t know. Littler looked quite flat, there were points where he was lobbing the darts, not petulantly but not with the directness he normally throws,” said ‘Hawaii 501’. “It would be more of a coincidence if we said it had nothing to do with last week — it was a knock-on from that. I thought he was going to be okay but he wasn’t. He’s going to have to get back on the horse soon.”

The backdrop was the now-infamous Night 9 in Manchester, where Van Veen beat Littler 6-5 in the quarter-finals after a deciding leg that descended into ill-tempered exchanges, a crying gesture from Littler, and a frosty handshake. Van Veen had called Littler “not a good loser.” Littler had responded on Instagram with three laughing emojis. Neither had spoken to the other during the week between nights.

In Brighton, the two men practised in separate rooms at the venue. Gerwyn Price confirmed the layout after his own nightly win: “They’re always in separate practice rooms. Myself, Mike [Van Gerwen] and Luke Humphries were in one and usually Gian comes into that. I don’t think there’s anything of it, it’s just the way it happens. Gian was in with us and Luke [Littler] was in the other one. There’s nothing in that at all.”

For Bunting, it was almost generous. “Thankfully, he is human! It’s tough because the crowd was giving him some stick,” Bunting told Sky Sports after the win. The birthday boy had chances to wrap the match up far earlier but squandered them — hitting just six of his 21 darts at a double — and still advanced with ease given how far below his usual level Littler was operating.

Littler walked in to boos, pointed to his ear towards the crowd in acknowledgement, and then could not find his rhythm all evening.

Elsewhere, Jonny Clayton had the best night of anyone at the Brighton Centre. The Welshman moved back to the top of the Premier League table with a dramatic 6-5 victory over Michael van Gerwen in the final, coming from 5-2 down to claim his third nightly win of the campaign. Van Gerwen had been on the verge of glory but missed four match darts in total, and Clayton punished every one, finishing the deciding leg with two 180s before sealing it on double 16. “I thought the game was over. He missed and gave me a chance. We’ve got to take chances,” said Clayton. “Back on top of the table and it’s time for Luke Littler to start chasing me again.”

There was also a shock for Gerwyn Price, beaten 6-3 by Josh Rock, who produced a clinical display including a standout 164 checkout on the bull, claiming a third consecutive quarter-final win.

The standings after Night 10: Clayton top on 24 points, Littler second on 21, Price third on 19, Van Gerwen fourth on 16. The top four at the end of Night 16 advance to Finals Night at The O2 on 28 May.

Night 11 heads to Rotterdam, where Van Veen hosts his first Premier League night on home soil.