Luke Littler warned his rivals he is “back where I belong” at the top of the Premier League darts table as he seeks his fourth nightly win in five weeks in Manchester.
Littler will be taking center stage at Night 9 at the AO Arena on Thursday night as the Warrington ace looks to deliver on his homeland’s achievements – live on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Action from 7pm.
After a sluggish start to the season, Littler has exploded in recent weeks, with back-to-back wins in Cardiff, Dublin and Berlin propelling him to the top of the table.
The world number one returns to Manchester with a two-point lead over his closest challenger, Johnny Clayton, as he aims to secure his third consecutive season at the top.
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Highlights of the World Championship final between Littler and Jan van Veen
“I bounced back from a bad start. It’s about getting back to where I think I belong at the top,” said the 19-year-old, who averaged 105, 108 and 106 points to win in Berlin last Thursday.
There are eight nights left until the top four players qualify for the final at The O2 next month.
Littler is two points behind Creighton, but with Gerwyn Price and Michael van Gerwen making up the remaining top four spots, Littler knows his opponents will continue to chase him.
“Johnny’s got off to a great start, but I’m sure Johnny will continue to chase and everyone will continue to chase for the top spot,” Littler added.
“Everyone wants it, we know that. We just need to keep moving forward.”
Littler reignited his rivalry with Jan van Veen in the quarter-finals, a repeat of the World Championship final at Alexandra Palace in January.
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Highlights of the Premier League quarter-final match between Littler and Van Veen
Van Veen won the only meeting between the pair on the first night of the Premier League in Newcastle, with the Dutchman reaching three of the opening four games on his debut.
Littler believes there is a “fear factor” to him as some players are afraid to play against him. The 2024 Premier League champions scored a sensational come-from-behind win against Price in Dublin last month.
“I don’t think I’ve ever lost a match, and the fight against Gaethje proved that. I kept winning from a 5-0 deficit,” said the two-year world champion.
“At 5-3, I said to myself on stage, ‘I got him,’ because he was starting to fall below the treble and was trying to fight for the treble past Oche and was missing the doubles.
“I just stand there and do my job, and sometimes I’m up 1-0 or 2-0 before I even get on stage. That’s the mindset of the players, so they lose before they even play me.”
“I think I’ve said it a few times, for some players, when they play me, it’s a final. Whether it’s round one or round two, it’s their cup final.”
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Highlights of the Littler vs. Price final on night seven of the Premier League in Dublin
As for what it will take to get to The O2, Littler added: “The last few years, I think I’ll be able to go in with about 25 or 26 points. If I think I’m going to get 30 points, I’d say I’m in the game.”
Littler also spoke about his long-term plans after maintaining their dominance in the PDC and Premier League in recent months.
“It’s all up to you whether you want it for the next 10 to 15 years, whether you’re financially stable, whether you’ve done everything you wanted to do,” he said.
“As Michael (van Gerwen) said, when the fire goes out in your belly, it’s time to stuff it.”
What’s happening on night nine of the Premier League in Manchester?
The BetMGM Premier League season continues until night nine in Manchester, with Littler continuing his bid for a fourth crown against Van Veen.
Van Gerwen and Stephen Bunting will face off in the opening match of the night, Price will take on Luke Humphries and Clayton and Josh Lock will meet in the quarter-finals for the second week in a row.
Ranking points will be awarded each night, with five awarded to the winner, three to the runner-up and two to the semi-finalists, forming a league table where the top four players will advance to the final night at the O2 in London on Thursday 28th May.
Who will win this year’s Premier League Darts? Luke Humphries is defending his title and you can watch the match every Thursday until May on Sky Sports. Stream darts and other top sports now.
