The world number one suffered an early exit on Night One of the Premier League Darts, losing 6-4 to Gian van Veen in the quarter-finals in Newcastle.
Luke Littler appeared to take a cheeky swipe at the Newcastle crowd after his defeat to Van Veen on the opening night of the 2026 Premier League.
On Thursday, February 5, Littler and Van Veen went head-to-head in a rematch of the 2025/26 PDC World Darts Championship final. But unlike their Ally Pally meeting, it was the Dutchman who came out on top this time, claiming his first-ever Premier League victory.
The 19-year-old, who lifted the Premier League title in 2024, struggled to find his best form on the night. While Littler actually posted a higher average of 96.98 compared to Van Veen’s 95.55, his finishing let him down. The teenager converted just four of his 12 attempts at doubles, while Van Veen was far more clinical, taking out six of his 14 chances.
Van Veen made a fast start, winning the opening leg and hitting a maximum 180 with his very first visit to the oche. Littler responded to level at 1-1, but the Dutchman edged back in front before Littler again fought back to make it 2-2.
The contest remained tight, and Littler moved into a 4-3 lead ahead of the eighth leg. Despite firing in six perfect darts during the leg, he was met with sarcastic boos from sections of the Newcastle crowd. Van Veen refused to be rattled, breaking back immediately to level the match at 4-4 before winning the ninth and tenth legs to seal a 6-4 victory and bring Littler’s evening to an abrupt end.
As a result, Van Veen progressed to a semi-final clash against Jonny Clayton, who had earlier beaten Josh Rock.
Shortly after the defeat, Littler took to social media. Posting on his Instagram story alongside a television showing Luke Humphries in action, he wrote: “Newcastle u was brilliant, onto next week… ps 3-1.”
While Littler did not clarify the meaning, the message was widely interpreted as a reference to Newcastle United’s 3-1 defeat to Manchester City in the second leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final at the Etihad Stadium the previous night. As a Manchester United supporter, the result may have come with mixed feelings for the darts star.
Fans were quick to react online, with many surprised by the result. One wrote: “GVV shocks Luke Littler on debut. Can already sense this is going to be a good tournament.” Another added: “Luke Littler is human after all. Crazy.” A third commented: “Huge for Van Veen to get that Luke Littler win out the way so early!”
Littler will look to bounce back when the Premier League continues next Thursday, February 12, in Antwerp, Belgium.
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