"I’ve been in that situation and I feel for the kid at the minute" - Gerwyn Price sympathises with Luke Littler after antics on stage against Gian van Veen

Gerwyn Price's dominant display in Manchester was somewhat overshadowed by a contentious moment involving world number one Luke Littler and Gian van Veen at the end of their quarterfinal in the Premier League Darts. Despite the ongoing conflict it has got from many darts fans, the 'Iceman' has cooled the situation down, not making a huge fuss about it.

Price was imperious on the oche in one of the most dominant nights of Premier League action. His form showcases that this has been coming, and it may have been done earlier if Littler had not completed a remarkable comeback against him in Dublin.

He averaged 104.46 enroute to demolishing the reigning champion Luke Humphries 6-2 before taking down Stephen Bunting by the same scoreline but averaging a whopping 112.91. No one was going to get in the Welshman's way. Not even a fired-up van Veen from a prior incident. Price made it a hat-trick of 6-2 triumphs and has now shot up the league standings to second in the table, two points behind Littler and on the same as Welsh compatriot Jonny Clayton.

While on most nights Price's brilliance on the oche would be the main talking point, this one is different. In Littler's home event, the Manchester crowd was very much on his side as they looked to cheer him over the edge. That did not bother van Veen, but it would be when Littler celebrated him missing a double which really irked him.

When going inside on double 15 for the match in a last-leg decider, the Dutchman turned around in frustration before seeing a delighted Littler celebrating his misfortunes. He was not very happy about it and both players were displeased with the other. After missing double seven for a 134 the prior leg, the two-time world champion went inside himself on the second dart, allowing van Veen to come back and clean up on double six. A cold handshake was followed by a lot of media attention, with van Veen sharing his thoughts on the controversy on stage while the 19-year-old took to social media to have his say.

Price, who has not been one to shy away from the spotlight in these situations, found himself an onlooker for once. It was a nice situation for him as it made a change from his stereotypical image that many once saw from him on stage.

When discussing his views on the incident after the game, he shrugged off the antics from both players. "Yeah, but things like this happen in darts," he told Online Darts. "In a couple of weeks it’ll all be done and dusted and we’ll move on. I’ve been in that situation myself—it’s part and parcel of darts. Emotions are up and down like a rollercoaster, and people get hyped up. It is what it is."

In a hugely important time in the Premier League campaign which has passed the halfway mark, each point is hugely crucial for all eight players with the O2 on Finals Night the target. That was why Price was in full belief that rivalries and tension like this is important for the sport, showing that they care and are fired up for the challenge.

"If you don’t have that reaction—sometimes you need to be a bit fired up—otherwise, what’s the point?" he admitted. "Don’t you want to win that much that you show those emotions? You might regret some reactions the next day, but if you’re not up for it in the game, sometimes that happens. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with it—I’ve been there. There’ll be a bit of backlash, probably for Luke, but in a couple of weeks it’ll be gone."

He was not prepared to give his raw views on the situation, but did admit he felt for Littler who seems to be taking the brunt of it online. "I don’t really want to comment on that, but I’ve been in that situation and I feel for the kid at the minute."

At the end of the day, all that matters for Price is that he won the night, gained five points, collected £10,000 and most importantly - is above Clayton. "No—I’ve won tonight, that’s all I’m bothered about. I’ve got five points, £10,000 in the bank, and I’m up to number two above Jonny Clayton, so I’m happy."