“Now they can all try and catch me” – Luke Littler takes top spot after eight nights in Premier League Darts

Luke Littler has issued a blunt challenge to his Premier League Darts rivals after firing himself to the top of the standings with his third nightly win in four weeks — doing it on German soil, in the most spectacular fashion possible, with two successive 170 checkouts to beat Michael van Gerwen in the Berlin final.

The world number one began the season in the bottom half of the table after a sluggish start, sitting as low as seventh at one stage, but a relentless run of form has flipped the narrative entirely. A third nightly title in four weeks, following victories in Cardiff and Dublin, has sent him two points clear of Jonny Clayton at the halfway point of the league phase — and Littler is making no attempt to hide his satisfaction.

“It’s been very interesting this Premier League,” Littler admitted to Sky Sports. “Obviously Jonny [Clayton] ran away with it a little bit, but I thought there was going to be a much bigger gap while I was sat seventh. I was also sat at sixth at one point but now they can all try and catch me!”

The night produced what Littler himself rated as the finest Premier League performance of his career. “It was a very good night overall,” he said. “I played some outstanding darts — I think that’s the best I’ve ever played for a [Premier League] night and got the job done.”

The evidence for that claim was compelling. A 104.73 average and 6-3 win over Stephen Bunting in the quarter-finals was followed by a 108.58 average against Gerwyn Price in the semis, with the Welshman nailing a 152 checkout to briefly threaten a comeback before Littler shut the door. Then came the final, where Littler fired a 106.36 average and four maximums, including three ton-plus finishes — among them two Big Fish checkouts in the final three legs to seal the deal against Van Gerwen.

The 170 double was landed twice not by accident, but by design. Littler had been practising heavily on the bull finish with his new prototype darts, and said he fancied himself as soon as the score came up. “Yeah, I mean obviously with the new darts in practice, I was pretty much hitting the bull every time. So when I was on stage, I fancied myself. I obviously hit a 126 on the bull as well, but yeah, them two 170s felt special,” he said.

He also confirmed the mid-night dart switch that had raised eyebrows — a decision made before the quarter-final and announced to himself as a target if he won his opening match. “I said coming in that if I won my first game I would change my darts in the second. That will get a few people talking! Target did a few adjustments as they weren’t quite right, but they worked tonight.”

The result also resolved a complicated relationship with German crowds. Littler had threatened to skip events in the country after hostile receptions in Hildesheim, Munich, and Berlin, and suffered a World Cup nightmare in Frankfurt last year. On Thursday, while a smattering of boos still greeted his walk-on, the crowd largely converted as the night wore on — and Littler was gracious about it. “Germany wasn’t too bad tonight,” he said. “I played very well and they were on my side at times. I reeled the 170s back in!”

He also acknowledged the pleasure of producing that kind of performance against Van Gerwen specifically — and the manner of his opponent’s response. “Yeah, hopefully [the Big Fish finishes sting for him]. But it’s just good to see Michael, he’s smiling, he’s getting back to his best, and it’s so good to see us having better games with each other.”

The table at the halfway stage of the league phase now reads: Littler 21 points, Clayton 19, Price 16, Van Gerwen 15. Defending champion Luke Humphries, beaten by Van Gerwen in the quarter-finals, has dropped outside the top four on 11 points, raising early concerns about his play-off prospects.

For his part, Littler’s message is simple: “I’m feeling very good, better than the first few weeks. But yeah, now I’m at the top, I don’t want to move from there. I want to stay at the top.”

Night Nine goes to Manchester next Thursday — and with the form Littler is showing, the rest of the field will need something very special to shift him from the summit.