Luke Littler targets victory against Michael van Gerwen in Premier League of Darts
Luke Littler has shared his main goal ahead of his upcoming contest against Michael van Gerwen on night 14 of the Premier League of Darts, reports BritPanorama.
The teenage sensation currently leads the standings and has claimed five nightly victories this season, including triumphs in the past two weeks. That tally leaves him just one short of the benchmark he established during last year’s campaign.
The 19-year-old said: “Obviously, I always want to be top of the table. Now I want to chase and hopefully break my own records. I can definitely say I’m relaxed now. I saw before play that me and Jonny (Clayton) had the Q (on the table) so I knew I was going back to the O2 for the third consecutive year. Now I can go chasing my records. Three nights left, I’ll try and grab as many nightly wins as I can.”
His opening contest at the First Direct Arena puts him against Van Gerwen in what promises to be a compelling quarter-final encounter. The Dutchman finds himself under pressure, needing victories to cement his own play-off berth.
Luke Humphries is in an equally uncertain situation, trailing Van Gerwen by two points in the battle for fourth position. Humphries, who plays Josh Rock in the quarter-finals, has won the last two events in Leeds and is in desperate need of a treble. “It’s my favourite night of the year in the Premier League and where I get the best support,” the world number two said.
He continued: “It’s always something that I look forward to at the start of the season. The good thing for me is I need these points more than ever. The last two years, I didn’t really need them. It might make me up for it even more than I usually am. It was a massive game against Michael last week. I’ve put myself right back in the game.”
Elsewhere on night 14, Jonny Clayton opens the proceedings with an all-Welsh affair against Gerwyn Price, while Gian van Veen will take on Stephen Bunting in the other contest in Leeds. The stakes are high, and enthusiasm is palpable as the competitors vie for crucial points in the Premier League.
It’s a tantalising reminder of how fiercely competitive the landscape of professional darts has become, with all eyes fixed on the O2 as players seek to establish their dominance before the play-offs.
