PREVIEW Premier League Darts 2025 Playoffs | Can anyone stop Luke Littler going back-to-back?

After sixteen thrilling weeks of darting drama, the Premier League Darts 2025 reaches its climax on Thursday night at London’s iconic O2 Arena. The final four contenders will battle it out for glory in what promises to be an electrifying playoff showdown.

Just like last year, both Luke Littler and Luke Humphries have earned their spots in the capital. Joining them this time are Nathan Aspinall and Gerwyn Price, rounding out a fiercely competitive final quartet. Notably, for only the fourth time in the tournament’s 21-year history, no Dutch player will feature on finals night.
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From 2005 to 2012, Premier League Darts was dominated by the legendary Phil Taylor. During that eight-year stretch, The Power lifted the trophy six times, with only James Wade (2009) and Gary Anderson (2011) managing to interrupt his near-total dominance.

Taylor also topped the league stage in each of those eight seasons. That remarkable run ended in 2013, when Michael van Gerwen burst onto the scene. The Dutchman immediately made his mark, winning both the league phase and the playoffs in his debut year. Van Gerwen then went on to top the league table for seven consecutive seasons.

In 2014 and 2015, Van Gerwen reached the final again but fell short—first to Raymond van Barneveld, then to Gary Anderson. However, he bounced back in commanding fashion, clinching four consecutive titles from 2016 to 2019, bringing his tally to five Premier League crowns.

That made it all the more shocking when Van Gerwen failed to reach the playoffs in 2020, ending a streak of seven straight finals. Instead, Glen Durrant claimed a surprise victory, defeating Nathan Aspinall in the final. Another unexpected champion emerged in 2021, when Jonny Clayton triumphed over José de Sousa in a memorable final.

Van Gerwen returned to winning ways in 2022 after a gripping final against Joe Cullen in Berlin. Cullen missed a match dart, allowing Van Gerwen to edge a dramatic 11–10 victory and secure his sixth title. He then captured his seventh in 2023, reaffirming his place among the sport’s elite.

Seven-time Premier League champion Michael van Gerwen will be absent from finals night in London this year. Just like in the disrupted 2020 season, Van Gerwen failed to finish inside the top four during the league phase, missing out on the playoffs.

The key factor? Mighty Mike was unable to win a single weekly title throughout the campaign. While only Luke Littler lost fewer quarterfinal matches than the Dutchman, Van Gerwen also suffered the most semifinal defeats of any player. In contrast, each of the top four players in the final standings secured at least two weekly wins—highlighting the consistency required to reach the playoffs.

Just like last season, Luke Littler was relentless throughout the league phase. The Nuke had already impressed in 2024, but this year he shattered multiple records and elevated his game even further. His scoring power was nothing short of extraordinary. The youngest world champion in history hit a staggering 180 on 169 occasions during the league stage alone. For comparison, he had set the previous record last year with 128 maximums over the entire season.

Littler also made history by winning six weekly titles—becoming the first player ever to claim more than four in a single Premier League campaign. He ended the league phase with 45 points, surpassing the previous record by five.

In Thursday’s semifinals, Littler faces Gerwyn Price. The 18-year-old Englishman remarked last week that Price made a costly mistake in losing his final league match, which dropped him to fourth place and set up this challenging semifinal clash. Still, if anyone has proven a difficult opponent for Littler, it's The Iceman.

Among the top four players, Price is the only one with a winning record against the reigning champion. Of their 13 previous meetings, the Welshman has won seven—including a streak of six consecutive victories from June 2024 to March 2025. However, Littler appears to have turned the tide, winning their last two encounters.

Despite the tough semifinal draw, Price can reflect on a strong Premier League season. The former rugby player claimed three weekly titles and produced two perfect nine-dart finishes. This is only the second time Price has reached the Premier League playoffs—his previous appearance in 2023 ended with a runner-up finish to Michael van Gerwen.

There was plenty of criticism from fans and fellow players when Nathan Aspinall was handed a wildcard for this year’s Premier League. But The Asp has emphatically silenced the doubters with his performance. Consistency has become his trademark in this competition—this marks his third playoff appearance in just five Premier League campaigns. Remarkably, even in the two seasons he didn’t qualify for finals night, he finished just outside the top four in fifth place.

Aspinall opened the campaign with back-to-back defeats but showed resilience, suffering only one more run of two consecutive losses for the remainder of the season. The 2020 Premier League runner-up reached four weekly finals and claimed titles in Week 10 and Week 15. His Week 15 triumph proved pivotal: trailing Michael van Gerwen by a single point, Aspinall defeated his Dutch rival in the quarterfinals, then dispatched both Stephen Bunting and Chris Dobey with identical 6–1 scorelines to claim the full five points in Aberdeen. That win vaulted him four points clear of Van Gerwen. A week later, Aspinall beat Mighty Mike again in the final round of league play and overtook Gerwyn Price in the standings—thus avoiding a semifinal clash with the red-hot Luke Littler.

That’s significant, as Aspinall’s record against Littler is dire. Out of 15 previous meetings, he’s managed just a single win. His head-to-head with Luke Humphries is more balanced, though still not in his favor, trailing 13–9. Still, these playoffs represent a personal milestone for the 33-year-old from Stockport. Aspinall has long dreamed of playing at the O2 Arena, but in his previous playoff appearances in 2020 and 2021, the finals were held elsewhere due to the pandemic.

As for Luke Humphries, he opened his campaign in strong form—claiming two weekly titles in the first four weeks and reaching another final in Glasgow. However, a mid-season dip saw him lose three matches in a row, and he relinquished the top spot to Littler. From the sixth round onward, Humphries held onto second place in the standings. In the final nine weeks, he reached five more weekly finals but could only convert one into a victory.

The world number one is chasing a personal milestone of his own. Having already claimed the World Championship and the World Matchplay in 2024, Cool Hand Luke is aiming to complete his ‘Triple Crown.’ Despite a rapidly growing résumé, the Premier League remains one of the few major televised titles still missing from his collection.

Quarterfinals/Halffinals/Finals: Best of 11 legs

Semifinals: Best of 19 legs

Final: Best of 21 legs

Thanks to Sky Sports, you don't have to miss a single darts moment. Every Thursday night starting at 7 p.m., the channel will bring you the matches live, including extensive analysis and interviews with the main players.

The broadcasts usually last until 11 p.m., allowing you to enjoy a full evening of pure entertainment and top-level darts at the highest level.

With a total prize pool of £1,000,000, the eight contestants are competing not only for the title, but also for a substantial amount of money. All participants are guaranteed £60,000 in prize money. This eventually rises to the top prize of £275,000 for the winner.

However, players can also win a bonus each week. For every winner of a mini-tournament during the league phase, a sum of £10,000 is up for grabs.

Playoffs - Thursday, May 29.

Luke Littler v Gerwyn Price

Luke Humphries v Nathan Aspinall

Littler/Price v Humphries/Aspinall