‘He’ll come back and beat me up’: Jonny Clayton wary of Littler biteback as Premier League Darts dominance continues

Jonny Clayton admitted he is “over the moon” after claiming a fourth nightly win of the 2025 Premier League season, continuing his superb run of form with victory on Night 11.

The Welshman’s latest success strengthens his position at the top of the table, and while he is enjoying the moment, his focus remains firmly on securing a place at the O2.

“I love every second of it, to be honest,” Clayton said. “How many more have we got left, five or six? It would be great to win a few more there. But no, four nightly wins, amazing. Absolutely over the moon.”

A key part of Clayton’s run has been his record against world number one Luke Littler, whom he defeated again on the night to win again. Despite that growing head-to-head success, Clayton insists there is no secret formula.

“I don’t know, don’t ask him just in case he gives it away,” he joked. “No, genuinely I don’t know, I just relax. He plays his game. He started off amazing, he was hitting 180s for fun and I was thinking, ‘wow, how do I compete with this?’ But all of a sudden something changed, I got ahead and I stayed there. So yeah, I really enjoyed that.”

When asked whether he feels he has the edge over Littler at present, Clayton played it down in typical fashion.

“Not at all, I’m not going to say anything about that, because probably he’ll come back and beat me up,” he said. “To be fair, I go up and try and win a game, Luke goes up and tries to win a game. At the moment the grandad has got one up.”

Clayton also dismissed suggestions that his place at Finals Night is already secured, despite opening up a five-point lead at the top of the table.

“No, I’m not saying it yet,” he insisted. “It looks good, but I’m not there yet.”

With 29 points on the board, however, he acknowledges he is in a strong position.

“Yeah, it feels good, obviously. Like I’ve always said, I’ve been here before, points are important,” Clayton explained. “Like you say, I think I’m on 29, and hopefully that’s enough to get to the O2. My aim is to get to the O2. When you’re there, it’s anybody. The important part is getting there. I’m doing a good job of it so far, and hopefully maybe a few more points and I’m definitely in. So yeah, happy days.”

His latest win over Littler, his third against the World Champion in this year’s competition, was another reminder of the level Clayton is producing.

“Of course it is special,” he said of facing Littler. “To play a talent like that is amazing. To beat a talent like that, he’s got everything. He’s got everything every other player wishes for. He’s got that attitude, he’s got the throw, he’s got the mentality, he’s got everything. What a player. And to beat him, I’ve done my job tonight, so it’s my night.”

Clayton’s consistency has been one of the driving forces behind his Premier League campaign, and he is hopeful it can lead to more silverware.

“Yeah, hopefully I can win the Premier League,” he said. “So, getting there first and then hopefully… it’s a funny old game. You win some, you lose some. The ones you lose, you have to forget quick. And the ones you win, you try and work on it. So, hopefully I can win a few more majors this year and maybe, who knows, Jonny Clayton of 2021 might pick up a few more trophies.”

Despite his strong form, Clayton is reluctant to place himself among the very top players in the world, pointing instead to the importance of consistency and rankings.

“Well, I think the rankings show everything. It’s consistency, do you know what I mean?” he said. “When you’re world number one and world number two, oh my God, it’s fantastic, you’re doing something really well. You have to be world champion. To be fair to Gian at world number three, he lost in the final to Luke last year. And then we follow, you’ve got Michael, myself and James Wade coming behind. It’s like, we’ve got to be consistent. We’ve got to play darts. We’ve got to perform week in, week out. And that’s the only way that you can stay in the top eight, top ten.”

Pressed on whether he personally feels like one of the best players in the world right now, Clayton remained grounded.

“I feel like Jonny Clayton has just won a night in the Premier League, and that’s it,” he said.

The Night 11 victory came in front of a passionate Dutch crowd, something Clayton relished despite the hostile reception at times for his opponents.

“It’s amazing, to be honest,” he said. “When you walk up on stage, obviously tonight I was playing Michael in the first game, so it was a different atmosphere. But to look out, seeing the orange army, absolutely fantastic. I’ve been here before, I’ve seen it before, but it’s always a reminder of how passionate the Dutch are about darts. And yes, I’m proud to win in front of that crowd. So yeah, great night.”

Clayton added that his visits to the Netherlands have been limited to darts, but they continue to leave a lasting impression.

“No, I’ve only been here with darts, to be honest with you,” he said. “And I have fond memories of Holland. At the end of the day, it’s kind to me and that’s all I want. Maybe this is the start of a great memory.”

Attention now turns to Night 12 in Liverpool, a venue Clayton is particularly fond of due to his football allegiances.

“Yeah, you know, my football team,” he smiled. “I think I’ve won there before, so hopefully I can make it two nights there. I love Liverpool, I like the city, I’m a massive Liverpool fan. I’m looking forward to next week, so hopefully I can win there next week.”