"One of the best finals the Premier League has ever seen": Luke Humphries shows humility in lieu of Littler Premier League final loss
PDC
Luke Humphries came agonisingly close on Thursday evening to defending his Premier League title, but in a historic final he ultimately had to surrender 11–10 to world champion Luke Littler at The O2 Arena.
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Despite the painful defeat, Humphries reacted with remarkable sportsmanship afterwards. The Englishman immediately acknowledged the quality of his young compatriot and spoke with admiration about the extraordinary standard of the final, which many are already calling one of the greatest matches ever seen in Premier League Darts.
Humphries chasing unique record
For Humphries, there was more at stake on Thursday night than just another title. The reigning champion had the opportunity to join a very exclusive group. Only Phil Taylor and Michael van Gerwen had previously managed to successfully defend their Premier League crown. Humphries hoped to become just the third player ever to achieve that feat.
For a long time, that dream looked realistic. Humphries played a phenomenal final and, despite the defeat, recorded an average of nearly 106. He also produced several world-class finishes, including checkouts of 134, 121, and 112.
Yet even that level ultimately proved insufficient against a relentless Littler, who may have delivered the best match of his career with a 111.67 average and twelve maximums.
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“One of the best finals the Premier League has ever seen"
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Afterwards, Humphries appeared visibly disappointed in front of the cameras, but there was absolutely no frustration directed toward his opponent. On the contrary, the world number two was full of praise for Littler and the quality of the match.
“Luke played a brilliant game, so fair play to him,” said Humphries. "I’m not sure of the stats, but it was probably one of the best finals the Premier League has seen.
With that statement, Humphries perfectly captured what many darts fans inside the O2 Arena and watching at home were feeling. The final featured hardly any weak moments, while both players constantly piled pressure on each other with heavy scoring, rapid-fire legs, and spectacular finishes.
From start to finish, the standard was exceptionally high. Humphries stormed out of the blocks with two consecutive 13-darters, while Littler later produced three 11-dart legs and threw a sensational 10-darter at a crucial moment in the match.
Humphries shows humility as usual.
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Missed opportunity still hurts
Still, one moment in particular continued to haunt Humphries: the match dart Littler missed in the 20th leg. Leading 10–9, Littler had a chance to secure the title on double 20, but narrowly missed. Humphries immediately capitalised and coolly took out a 68 finish to force a deciding leg.
“I’m gutted he didn’t miss that dart at tops,” Humphries joked with a wry smile.
Although he ultimately lost the deciding leg, Humphries once again showed his remarkable resilience. Even when the title appeared virtually gone, he fought his way back into the contest one final time.
Proud of his Premier League campaign
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Despite the disappointment, Humphries also reflected proudly on his overall Premier League season afterwards. The Englishman did not always enjoy a flawless campaign and had to battle hard throughout the season to secure another play-off spot. Yet when it mattered most, he delivered once again, producing a final that will likely be talked about for years to come.
"I’m incredibly proud of the way I managed to come back and get myself to The O2.
“It’s been a great campaign in the end, and I’ll look forward to next year and the World Matchplay, and I’ll try and run him close again!”
Those words further underline the rivalry currently developing between Humphries and Littler. The two English superstars have contested several major finals against one another in recent years and currently appear to set the benchmark in world darts.
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A rivalry dominating the darts world
Thursday night’s Premier League final felt in many ways like the latest chapter in a rivalry that could dominate the sport for years to come. In 2024, Littler beat Humphries in the Premier League final, before Humphries gained revenge a year later by winning the 2025 showpiece. This latest deciding encounter once again went Littler’s way, earning him his second Premier League title.
Still, Humphries proved with his performance in London that he can more than live with the sensational standard produced by his young rival. In fact, with an average of nearly 106, Humphries would comfortably have won almost any other televised tournament on another night. Only an exceptional Littler denied him further success.
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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- 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
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- 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