MVG ends Littler’s hat-trick hopes with victory in Birmingham

Michael van Gerwen claimed his fourth nightly win and ended Luke Littler’s winning streak with a 6-3 victory on Night 11 of the BetMGM Premier League Darts in Birmingham.

Littler had looked to be building up another head of steam after earlier edging out Rob Cross in a last-leg decider and then holding off a stirring fightback from world champion Luke Humphries to win their latest epic tussle 6-5 – landing five maximums with a match average of just over 107.

Dutchman Van Gerwen, though, capitalised on a low-key start to the final, before eventually breaking twice to close out a 6-3 win and rekindle his own Play-Off ambitions.

Premier League Darts – Night 11 Results

Quarter-finals
Peter Wright
Luke Humphries

Rob Cross
Luke Littler

Gerwyn Price
Michael Smith

Michael van Gerwen
Nathan Aspinall

Semi-finals
Luke Humphries
Luke Littler

Michael Smith
Michael van Gerwen

Final
Luke Littler
Michael van Gerwen

Van Gerwen, the defending Premier League champion, had avoided another early exit after coming from behind to beat Nathan Aspinall in his first match and then eased past Michael Smith 6-4.

The Dutchman had the darts in the final but made life difficult for himself, ‘The Green Machine’ going bust in the third leg, hitting D15 instead of D10, and gifting 17-year-old Littler the break of throw for a 2-1 lead.

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Van Gerwen hit straight back with a break of his own via a sensational 125 checkout, but the next leg saw the Warrington superstar pin D10 for another break to go 3-2 up, the Dutchman then levelling things up once again at 3-3.

With the tension palpable, a fired-up Van Gerwen managed to hold his throw and finally showed some emotion, a break then giving him a solid 5-3 lead before he pinned 95 on D8 for the win.

Image:
How the Premier League Darts table looks after Night 11 with Littler still top but MVG is firmly back in Play-Off contention

Littler remains top of the table with 26 points, two clear of Humphries, while ‘The Green Machine’ sits third on 22 and Aspinall fourth on 18, one point ahead of Smith.

Seven-time Premier League champion Van Gerwen hopes he can now head into Night 12 in Rotterdam with renewed confidence.

“It’s about time,” he said. “I have made it hard for myself to be fair. But more importantly it is about how you bounce back.

“I know the last few weeks have not been great for me, but to come back with a win tonight feels good for me.”

Van Gerwen added: “I had to go really deep tonight and at the end Luke and I neither really played our A-game, but when you win nights like this, it is not always about who is playing well – sometimes it is who can handle it.

“I had a struggling few weeks, but to bounce back with a win like this gives me confidence of course.

“People will write you off when you lose, that is how things go, but I believed in my own opportunities and you need to make sure you keep your mind focused.

“I know there is more to come – the fighting spirit in my body is still there. I need to make sure I am good for next week.”

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Mardle: I didn’t think Van Gerwen would win

“If I’m honest I didn’t think he [Van Gerwen] would win, but who would foresee Littler playing that badly,” said Sky Sports’ Wayne Mardle after the final.

“It’s been a great hard graft, a real workout, but it’s his fourth nightly win.

“He’s not been on it but he’s played well at the exact right moments. He’s managed to get over the line.”

In the night’s opening quarter-final at the Utilita Arena, Humphries – who enjoyed European Tour success at the recent German Darts Grand Prix in Munich – came from 4-1 down to claim five straight legs and beat Peter Wright, who remains cut adrift at the bottom of the table.

Littler had been trailing 3-1 and then survived a match dart as he eventually battled past Cross, before former world champion Smith put last week’s defeat by Gerwyn Price behind him with a 6-3 win over the Welshman averaging 104 and pinning six of his nine attempts at double to close the gap on fourth-placed Aspinall to a solitary point.

Van Gerwen landed an impressive 152 checkout as he came from 4-2 behind to take control of his quarter-final against Aspinall, going on to close out a much-needed 6-4 win.

Where does the Premier League head next?

Image:
Van Gerwen is a seven-time Premier League champion

The Premier League continues with Night 12 in Rotterdam on Thursday April 18, as Smith and Littler collide in the opening match of the night.

Van Gerwen and Humphries go head to head, Cross will play Price for a place in the semi-finals, while Aspinall and Wright are also in action in the Dutch second city.

Fixtures: Night 12 at Rotterdam Ahoy on Thursday, April 18

Quarter-finals

Michael Smith vs Luke Littler

Rob Cross vs Gerwyn Price

Peter Wright vs Nathan Aspinall

Michael van Gerwen vs Luke Humphries

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2024 Premier League Darts schedule

Night 12
Rotterdam Ahoy
April 18

Night 13
M&S Bank Arena, Liverpool
April 25

Night 14
P&J Live, Aberdeen
May 2

Night 15
First Direct Arena, Leeds
May 9

Night 16
Utilita Arena, Sheffield
May 16

Play-Offs
The O2, London
May 23

Premier League Darts continues on Sky Sports on Thursday April 18 with Rotterdam Ahoy the next stop on the 17-week extravaganza all the way through to the Play-Offs at The O2 arena in London on Thursday May 23. Stream the darts and more with a NOW Sports Month Membership. No contract, cancel anytime.