"Now they can all try and catch me" - Luke Littler takes top spot after eight nights in Premier League Darts
PDCIt’s no longer a surprise, but rather confirmation of a trend that has become increasingly clear in recent weeks: Luke Littler is the man in form in the Premier League Darts.
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With another nightly title, his second in a row and third in four weeks, the young Englishman has firmly settled at the top of the standings. And as he himself puts it, calm yet determined, that position isn’t one he intends to give up.
“Yeah, I’m feeling very good, better than the first few weeks. But yeah, now I’m at the top, I don’t want to move from there. I want to stay at the top.”
His words reflect not only confidence, but also the mental growth he has made in a short time.
The ‘Big Fish’ as a trademark
The way Littler closes out his wins is at least as striking as the results themselves. His checkouts are sharp, often spectacular, and increasingly decisive. Against none other than Michael van Gerwen, he again showed how deadly he can be on the doubles, especially on the bull.
The so-called ‘Big Fish’, a 170 checkout via two treble 20s and the bullseye, is fast becoming a Littler signature.
“Yeah, I mean obviously with the new darts in practice, I was pretty much hitting the bull every time. So when I was on stage, I fancied myself. I obviously hit a 126 on the bull as well, but yeah, them two 170s felt special.”
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The crowd laps it up, and his opponents will feel it too. Asked whether these finishes sting mentally for a player like Van Gerwen, Littler replies:
“Yeah, hopefully. But it’s just good to see Michael, he’s smiling, he’s getting back to his best, and it’s so good to see us having better games with each other.”
Equipment and fine margins make the difference
Behind the scenes, more is at play than just form and confidence. Littler is still experimenting with his setup, and it seems to be paying off. For this night he opted to go back to a tweaked set of darts.
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“Yeah, I mean coming into tonight, I said to Mum and Dad, ‘We might as well try these out, if I win my first game, that’s two points on the board.’
Yeah, they’re a bit different. I think Target rushed a bit to get them over to Saudi with me, so there were a few little things not right. But yeah, even when I got them on before, these looked way better, and yeah, they worked out.”
It underlines how important details are at the very top of the darts world. A small tweak in weight, grip, or balance can be the difference between missing and hitting, between losing and dominating.
From chaser to the one being chased
What makes this Premier League Darts especially intriguing is the volatile nature of the table. Littler started slowly and spent a long time in the lower regions. At one point he was even seventh with only a few points.
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“Yeah, I mean it’s been very interesting this Premier League. Obviously Jonny ran away with it a little bit, but yeah, I thought there was going to be a much bigger gap while I was seventh and sat on six or one point. But yeah, now they can all try and catch me.”
Luke Littler defeated Michael van Gerwen in the final in Berlin
That expectation proved wrong. With a run of strong performances, Littler has not only reeled in the field, but left it behind. The roles are now completely reversed, where he first had to chase, he is now the man to catch.
In his current form, reaching the Play-Offs in London seems only a matter of time. Traditionally, the cutoff is around 24 to 25 points, and Littler is well on course.
“Yeah, I mean the last few years I think it’s been about 24 or 25 points. So as long as we get past them points, then I think I can say I’m definitely in.”
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The O2 Arena beckons, and all signs point to Littler playing a leading role there.
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Notable sidelines, from nutrition to football stars
Away from the oche, Littler is also making headlines. It recently emerged that he is using a personal chef during the Premier League Darts. A luxury? Maybe. But according to Littler it’s mainly a practical choice.
“Some of it’s okay, but like Barry said, hopefully they can sort it out, not only for us, but also for the snooker.”
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It illustrates how professional the sport has become. Details like nutrition, rest, and preparation play an ever larger role. Another special moment in Littler’s recent career was his meeting with the England national football team, where he spent time with stars such as Jude Bellingham.
“Yeah, I mean it was even better because the training they did in the day was open, so all the media was there, loads of fans were there. So we got there and just snuck in, so the players didn’t know, they didn’t see me and didn’t know I was there. They just thought we were playing darts together.
But yeah, it was crazy. Obviously good to see all the players and have some dinner with them.”
Germany and the fans
The night in Germany brought another interesting dynamic. Littler wasn’t sure what to expect from the crowd, but came away pleasantly surprised.
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“Yeah, I didn’t know what to expect. Obviously I’ve been hearing there’s a bit of a fan club out here with about 100 members. I met the guys from Target over in Germany last night, went for some food, so yeah, it all sounds good and hopefully it can carry on.”
“The crowd were very good tonight and very respectful. But yeah, it’s just all about my schedule, doing days and weekends with sponsors. But yeah, if it comes around and I need to go to places like Germany to get to Dortmund, then obviously I’ll have to go.”
For now, Littler’s message is simple and clear, he’s on top, and he doesn’t plan on changing that any time soon.
“I don’t want to move from there. I want to stay at the top.”
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Samuel GillChief Content Officer
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of DartsNews.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy across professional darts coverage. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces, playing a central role in the development and daily operation of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has extensive experience in darts media and has been closely involved in coverage of the professional darts circuit for several years. Within the UK darts community, he is a recognised figure known for his consistent editorial output and ongoing reporting on major tournaments and developments across the PDC calendar.
In his current role, Samuel works closely with editors and writers to ensure content meets clear journalistic standards, with a focus on source verification, editorial consistency, and timely updates when new, confirmed information becomes available.
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- Ultimately it is a bye for whoever draws Barney. It will be another stroppy and sulky performance once he goes behind. Barney was excellent but really must completely call it a day now.richieburnettrocks07-11-2026
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- Probably i will receive a lot of backlash and hate for this reaction, but well, so be it. I am more than sick and tired of those lies of you Barry Hearn. How dare you defend yourself over the back of Fallon’s son! He has a disability and not an illness, so let me correct that for you! I know because I have the exact same disability. I have tried to reach out to Fallon in the past, and offered her to help her and her son, because I was struggling with the same problems, and I understood the boy. I wanted him to have finally someone who understood him. However she told me that she did not want my help, and I have respected Fallon’s choice. I have never asked Fallon for money. They don’t need money in that case. I only ever wanted the best for Fallon and Rory, but I have to be honest about the situation. Fallon should tell the true story and not be forced to tell lies. I don’t hate Fallon, and I don’t begrudge or envy a single penny that she gets, but this situation/case is just not fair. I hate the lies and the dishonesty and injustice. I don’t want Fallon to be hated because there is an unfair disadvantage created. Don’t proclaim your false lies over the back of Rory! I only stand for integrity and justice. I am precisely the one who always sticks up for Fallon. And you don't, you don't give a damn about them. You were never there for them, and now you only want to save your own position! You are just trying to talk your way out of your own bad behavior at the expense of someone with a disability. And to Fallon, I don’t know if this may ever reach you, and you read it, but I want you to know I love you and I love your son Rory very much, I am sorry how things developed and went. I hope you and Harriet are still friends. I am sorry if I were too persistent to you, or you experienced it that way, but it was never my intention. Please understand I have autism as well. As Barry Hearn would say, I am only just a human being too, and I also make mistakes and misjudge things sometimes. I promise you I did everything out of the deepest love and care for you and Rory. If I were you, I should just keep all the money, only please never be dishonest or tell lies anymore for Barry Hearn, or anyone else. I hope you have the best life, and I wish nothing more than the best for you. I have always loved the two of you. Farewell.Hiddo05-11-2026
- She is a professional. If darts is her income, she is a professional. Same as Adrian Lewis, Martin Adams. A tour card just means someone can play on the PDC tour. You could even make a case that Clayton wasn't a professional (until recently I believe) because he had employment elsewhere.BandB04-11-2026
- She's technically not a professional though as she doesn't hold a pro tour card.mr-pablo04-11-2026
- Such a shame that lakeside has been reduced to this. Fantastic venue,and previously a great tournament. Not any morerick6703-11-2026
- Seems to me that the top 16 players pick and choose whatever they want to play. Good,all the money will get spread out more. They get more money from exhibitions than tournaments so let them all withdrawrick6703-11-2026
- Play all legs and the winners split the pot. Luke gets the lot of he wins them all. If your occupation is darts player you can't enter, regardless of ability.BandB01-11-2026
- I'm quite a jaded person all things considered, but to be honest I found Beat Luke Littler to be pretty entertaining. It certainly wasn't seamless, which is to be expected given the lack of precedence, but I actually think the pacing was pretty good, the production was impressive, and there was a good sense of humour and levity to it. I think it was a very ambitious undertaking but one that, for the most part, paid off. I liked the system with the four pots and I think it added to the drama and intrigue. I enjoyed seeing the diverse range of entrants and learning about their backstories. I think the interactivity was pretty clever and well-integrated. The panel was a little incoherent at times; Lee Mack shone however, and his improvisational skills were appreciated during some more awkward interstitial moments. As far as the darts is concerned, it was a shame that the format didn't allow Littler to get into full flow. You obviously don't want him to steamroll everyone but you want to feel like you're getting the full Littler package rather than seeing him struggling to get out of first gear. I will say that his leg against Jayden Walker was very impressive, but it was mostly downhill from there. The attraction revolves around Littler being this untouchable, indomitable force, yet the format doesn't really allow him to fulfil that characterisation. As for Fallon Sherrock, she was mightily impressive and deserved the victory. It is a testament to her unshakeable character that she was able to bang in a 14-darter under such mind-bending pressure. Everything that has been said about the misleading marketing is valid, though they were clear about their eligibility criteria and were able to offload the responsibility somewhat by bringing the viewers into the decision-making process in real time. What is clear though, is that Fallon played the game according to the rules, and she should not be criticised for that, much less abused. I will admit though that it is a kick in the teeth for those true amateurs who committed time and money to the course, and I would also question those who think pub players would have no chance, given that some of Littler's winning legs were dispatched in 7 visits to the board! The great thing about darts is that it isn't so much that amateurs cannot replicate the feats of brilliance pulled off by professionals of the sport, than it is that they simply cannot replicate the consistency of their output, something that this format almost entirely removes from the equation. It should also be noted that, financially, Fallon certainly stands to benefit much less in relative terms from the paycheque than would your average pub thrower, as I'm sure she nets a fair income from the lucrative exhibition circuit alone. What I do hope is that she might use this as an opportunity to really build up a head of steam heading into the new season, as it seems long overdue that she come through Q-School and really take it to the pros on a week-in week-out basis, but whatever she chooses to do, she has certainly achieved enough already for one if not several lifetimes, so who am I to dictate terms? To conclude though, I will state once again that I found Beat Luke Littler to be a pretty enjoyable evening of entertainment. I do feel for the contestants who never actually had the chance to try their luck against the world #1, although I suppose it comes with the format, but all which inevitably raises the question: will Netflix be tempted to do it all again next year? It's hard to say. Whether it would be financially viable, I can't weigh in there. One point I have been making though, and which I touched on earlier, is that the entire concept relies on a public perception that Littler is more or less unbeatable, and that certainly hasn't been the case of late. If the execs had been trying to pitch the show in recent months while Littler has seemed vulnerable, rather than when he was mopping up almost every major title on the calendar, it would certainly be a tougher sell. We will have to see in about 6 months' time whether Littler can still reliably command perception as a near-unstoppable force in darts, and then we'll have a clearer idea about whether we should expect a second helping. Even as a one-off experiment though, and with all the controversy taken into account, I still don't think they disgraced themselves by any means, and that will probably be my lingering assessment of the event when all is said and done.Deduce635801-11-2026
- Fair play to Fallon. But...shows the mockery when a professional players wins what was meant to be an amateur v Pro event, Littlers performance was poor, and what about the players who didn't get a game? Would have been better if the pot was split amoungst all the winners and they all got a leg.BandB31-10-2026






