Price wins in Manchester after Littler and Van Veen spat

Gerwyn Price claimed his second triumph of the Premier League season in Manchester, overcoming Gian van Veen 6-2 in the final. The Welsh player delivered a standout performance, averaging 105.84 to secure his victory and climb to second in the standings. However, the evening’s most memorable moment arose from an unexpected clash between Van Veen and Luke Littler during the quarter-finals.

“From my perspective, I missed the double 15 and was furious with myself for the error. When I looked around, Littler was celebrating, which I found out of place. I was boiling over about that,” Van Veen explained to Sky Sports. “He probably saw it and then missed three darts at double seven, yet still blamed me for the mistake. I don’t know what I did wrong because he was the one who missed. That was out of order.”

Littler’s reaction to Van Veen’s comments included laughing emojis on his Instagram story and a photo highlighting his recent PDC titles. Despite the tension, the Dutchman regained composure to win the deciding leg with a double six, ending the encounter with a brief handshake before Littler departed. Van Veen emphasized his respect for Littler, calling him a “fantastic player and guy for the sport,” while acknowledging the moment as a defining part of the competition.

Match Results

Quarter-finals: – Michael van Gerwen 3-6 Stephen Bunting – Gerwyn Price 6-2 Luke Humphries – Gian van Veen 6-5 Luke Littler – Jonny Clayton 4-6 Josh Rock Semi-finals: – Stephen Bunting 2-6 Gerwyn Price – Gian van Veen 6-3 Josh Rock Final: Gerwyn Price 6-2 Gian van Veen

Tournament Structure

The Premier League Darts unfolds over 16 weeks, with each night featuring quarter-finals, semi-finals, and a final. Players face all opponents in the quarter-finals during weeks one to seven and nine to 15, while weeks eight and 16 are set aside for other fixtures. The top four after the group stage advance to the O2 Arena on 28 May for the play-off night, where first meets fourth and second faces third in a best-of-19-leg match. The final, contested over 21 legs, determines the champion. In case of a tie, rankings are decided by nights won, followed by matches secured.

Thursday, 9 April – The Brighton Centre hosted the quarter-finals, featuring Luke Humphries vs Jonny Clayton, Gerwyn Price vs Josh Rock, Luke Littler vs Stephen Bunting, and Michael van Gerwen vs Gian van Veen.