Luke Littler, 18, makes Premier League history as he beats Van Gerwen in Birmingham to set incredible new record
The world champion saw off Michael van Gerwen 6-4 in a Week 13 showdown in Birmingham.
Advertisement
2
Luke Littler has won his fifth Premier League night of the season
Credit: Getty
2
The 18-year-old continues to smash records in just his season campaign
Credit: Getty
And he also became the first man in the history of the competition to win
FIVE
nights in a single season.
The Nuke's triumph takes him past his own tally of four from last year, where he
Littler averaged 102.50 in the final against MVG, who he also beat in the World Championship final in January.
Advertisement
It was a slow start to the night for the Warrington teenager, who needed deciding legs against
The Nuke threw 7 maximums against The Asp - but was just 6 from 17 on his doubles.
It came after he
The 18-year-old managed to notch up his 129th 180 of the season.
Advertisement
Most read in Darts
BEST ONLINE CASINOS - TOP SITES IN THE UK
It surpassed the previous record of 128 - set by himself last term - for the most 180s in a single
Premier League
campaign.
And Littler did it with four nights of the season remaining, including the final at London's O2 Arena.
Luke Littler lands new role as darts star teams up with Deliveroo to find the best kebab in the country
Prior to the match, Bunting pleaded: "I don't want to wind him up too much because I've got him in that first game!
Advertisement
"I'll probably leave it until after the game, and hopefully I can get a result against him."
Littler told Sky: "I'm very happy.
"Once I got over the finish line against Stephen I was confident.
"I'm confident now that I'll stay at No1."
Advertisement
Earlier on Thursday,
The 18-year-old will be the only player ranked in the PDC top 20 to miss the event in Sindelfingen, Germany.
Premier League Darts 2025
THE Premier League Darts is back with eight players vying for massive prize money and Luke Littler's crown.
The teenager, who went on to win the world title in December, won the Premier League in 2024 and will be looking to defend his crown over 18 thrilling weeks.
There were two new entries this season, with Stephen Bunting and Chris Dobey replacing Peter Wright and Michael Smith.
Luke Humphries, Rob Cross, Michael van Gerwen, Gerwyn Price and Nathan Aspinall keep their place in what will be a hotly-contested title race.
INFORMATION
Full schedule and results, dates, TV and live stream info
Latest standings as we head to Finals night
How much prize money is on offer in the Premier League?
LATEST DARTS NEWS
SEASON SO FAR
Night One - Belfast
Night Two - Glasgow
Night Three - Dublin
Night Four - Exeter
Night Five - Brighton
Night Six - Nottingham
Night Seven - Cardiff
Night Nine - Berlin
Night 10 - Manchester
Night 11 - Rotterdam
Night 12 - Liverpool
His absence will not be a shock to many fans, given his tumultuous relationship with German darts crowds.
In Berlin last month,
Advertisement
Some
Read more on the Irish Sun
Littler was also booed at the German Darts Grand Prix in Munich two weeks ago.
After the event, he
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Irish Sun
6 minutes ago
- The Irish Sun
Alexander Isak offered whopping £32M-A-YEAR deal from Saudi but star has heart set on record-breaking Liverpool transfer
ALEXANDER ISAK has been offered a £32million-a-year deal from Saudi Arabia — but his heart is set on Liverpool. The Swedish striker, 25, told Newcastle he wants to leave after they knocked back the Reds' initial approach over a potential British-record £120m move last week. 2 Alexander Isak has rejected a big money move to the Middle East Credit: Getty SunSport understands he could now submit a transfer request to push for a switch to the Premier League champions. And he wants to head to Anfield despite the extraordinary offer from Al-Hilal, which would also see him land a £14m signing-on bonus and a host of other incentives. Isak would pocket £3.6m for winning the Saudi Pro League, £3.8m for lifting the Asian Champions League and a further £1.75m for finishing as the division's top scorer. Also on offer is £120,000 a month in personal expenses to cover travel for him and his family, a club house with four full-time staff and a full-time chauffeur. READ MORE IN FOOTBALL Isak would be provided with a private jet for him and his family whenever he is called up for It would make him the fifth-highest earner behind only Sadio Mane, Karim Benzema, Riyad Mahrez and The Toon are refusing to sell last season's 27-goal top scorer despite him not going on their pre-season tour to Asia. They have been unable to persuade him to sign a £300,000-a-week deal making him Newcastle's highest-ever earner. Most read in Sport BEST ONLINE CASINOS - TOP SITES IN THE UK And they fear he could force a move by handing in a written transfer request. Newcastle are exploring a move for Newcastle plotting Benjamin Sesko bid to replace Alexander Isak And they are planning a £35m bid for Brentford's New Liverpool forward The Frenchman cost £69m from Frankfurt and boss And Ekitike, 23, revealed how much he likes a strike partner. He said: 'I can play alone and also with another striker and that's what makes me versatile. "You know now in football you need to adapt." 2
The Irish Sun
6 minutes ago
- The Irish Sun
Lucas Paqueta ‘set to be CLEARED of betting charges as FA faced with paying West Ham star's £1MILLION legal fees'
LUCAS PAQUETA is set to be cleared of spot-fixing charges, according to reports. The West Ham star has played for two years while allegations of being deliberately yellow carded were hanging over his head. Advertisement 2 Lucas Paqueta is set to be cleared of spot-fixing charges Credit: Getty 2 Paqueta was accused of being deliberately carded on four occasions Credit: PA It was alleged that Paqueta picked up bookings on four separate occasions between November 2022 to August 2023 amid suspicious betting patterns being flagged. A guilty verdict could have seen the 27-year-old slapped with a lifetime ban from football. But reports from The FA are set to confirm their decision early next week. Advertisement West Ham and Paqueta are said to be furious over how long it has taken to reach a verdict. The FA could now face having to cover the cost of the midfielder's legal fees, which is in the region of £1million. Shortly before the investigation became public, Manchester City had agreed an £85million deal to sign the former Lyon man from West Ham. But that move collapsed once City became aware of the allegations. Advertisement Most read in Football An investigation was launched after suspicions betting patterns were identified originating from Paqueta Island in Brazil, where the player was born. Bets ranging from just £7 to £400 were placed on the four separate cards, in matches against Leicester, Aston Villa, Leeds and Bournemouth. A total of £100,000 in winnings came from bets placed on the four bookings. West Ham's then shirt sponsor, Betway, as well as a number of other high-profile bookmakers, raised concerns after their automatic systems which monitor suspicious betting were triggered. Advertisement After the nine-month FA probe, Paqueta was charged in May last year but did not face a hearing until March 2025, which finished following the end of the Premier League season. During the hearing, evidence was heard from former West Ham boss David Moyes. Paqueta's form has nosedived during the process, with the playmaker in tears on the pitch following a booking in a West Ham game versus Tottenham in May. Following that match, Paqeuta's wife released an emotional statement saying the family had been living through a "nightmare" for two years. Advertisement Sources close to the player have revealed that the allegations have had a serious impact on Paqueta's mental well-being. Read more on the Irish Sun THIS IS A DEVELOPING STORY.. The Sun is your go to destination for the best football, boxing and MMA news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures and must-see video . Like us on Facebook at
The Irish Sun
an hour ago
- The Irish Sun
Luke Littler, 18, kisses girlfriend Faith, 19, during walk-on for nail-biting World Matchplay Darts quarter-final win
LUKE LITTLER planted a kiss on new girlfriend Faith as the darts star continued his quest to become the youngest ever Triple Crown holder. The world champion, 18, later beat Andrew Gilding 16-14 in the quarter-finals at Winter Gardens in Blackpool on Friday night. 1 Luke Littler planted a kiss on new girlfriend Faith in Blackpool As the packed arena roared, and the tension built for his crucial clash, the camera panned to Littler making his grand entrance. And his partner Just before stepping onto the oche, Littler leaned in and gave Faith a tender smooch right there in front of thousands of screaming fans and millions watching live on TV. It was a blink-and-you'll-miss-it moment of affection that immediately sent social media into a frenzy, with fans cooing over the couple's cute display. READ MORE DARTS NEWS And the kiss brought Littler good luck in the end, as he narrowly beat world No.28 Gilding. Gilding, 54, made it close, going within one leg of Littler, before the darts prodigy hit a perfect 11-darter to win it. Littler hit EIGHTEEEN 180s, with an average of 103 as he booked a place in the semi-final against either Gerwyn Price and Josh Rock. Littler said: "That last leg I just had to stay focused and get over the line. Most read in Darts CASINO SPECIAL - BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS "He won a few on the bounce when I was sat on 15 legs but I just had to do a professional job in the end. "I didn't really panic. Andrew started to win a few legs, but that last leg against the darts as well, I just had to get over the line. Luke Littler stuns World Matchplay Darts with one of his greatest ever comebacks against Jermaine Wattimena "Andrews does what he does. He never goes out of rhythm. It's the same throw by throw and try and match him." Littler and girlfriend Faith were The 19-year-old is a beautician who met Littler in February. The couple jetted off with Littler previously dated Eloise Milburn, who cheered him on at his World Darts Championship debut in 2023. But the pair split after just 10 months in July 2024 after struggling to make time for each other. The World No.2 picked up a Premier League title back in 2024 and followed it up by 'The Nuke' now needs to win the iconic major at the Winter Gardens to add his name to another list of icons. Phil Taylor, Michael van Gerwen, Gary Anderson, and most recently Luke Humphries are the only four players to have completed the prestigious feat. Taylor, 16-times world champion, is still the only player to have completed the 'Triple Crown' in a singular darting season. List of all-time Darts World Champions BELOW is a list of darts world champions by year. The list does not include winners from the pre-Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) era or BDO world champions. That means Raymond van Barneveld, for example, is only listed once - Barney also won four BDO titles - and none of Eric Bristow's five BDO titles are included. 1994 - Dennis Priestley 1995 - Phil Taylor 1996 - Phil Taylor (2) 1997 - Phil Taylor (3) 1998 - Phil Taylor (4) 1999 - Phil Taylor (5) 2000 - Phil Taylor (6) 2001 - Phil Taylor (7) 2002 - Phil Taylor (8) 2003 - John Part 2004 - Phil Taylor (9) 2005 - Phil Taylor (10) 2006 - Phil Taylor (11) 2007 - Raymond van Barneveld 2008 - John Part (2) 2009 - Phil Taylor (12) 2010 - Phil Taylor (13) 2011 - Adrian Lewis 2012 - Adrian Lewis (2) 2013 - Phil Taylor (14) 2014 - Michael van Gerwen 2015 - Gary Anderson 2016 - Gary Anderson (2) 2017 - Michael van Gerwen (2) 2018 - Rob Cross 2019 - Michael van Gerwen (3) 2020 - Peter Wright 2021 - Gerwyn Price 2022 - Peter Wright (2) 2023 - Michael Smith 2024 - Luke Humphries 2025 - Luke Littler Most World Titles 14 - Phil Taylor 3 - Michael van Gerwen 2 - John Part, Adrian Lewis, Gary Anderson, Peter Wright 1 - Dennis Priestley, Raymond van Barneveld, Rob Cross, Gerwyn Price, Michael Smith, Luke Humphries, Luke Littler
