The Nuke Breaks Record: Littler Secures 5th Night Win in Birmingham Defeating MvG to Night 13
- Darts Central
- May 2
- 9 min read
Following Price’s magnificent showing in Nottingham in which he was crowned the night’s winner and claimed the maximum five points to boost his play-off chances, attention now turned to Birmingham for Night 13 where all positions in the table were there to fight for.
Quarter-Final 1: Luke Littler 6-5 Stephen Bunting
The night began with top-of-the-table Luke Littler facing bottom-placed Stephen Bunting. Despite winning four of the opening eight nights, 'The Nuke' hadn’t lifted a nightly title since Night 8 in Newcastle and remained in pursuit of a record-breaking fifth win under this format.
Bunting made a bright start, storming into a 2-0 lead and missing a dart at double 16 for 3-0. Having switched back to his regular darts setup, Littler stopped the rot with a 48 checkout to get on the board at 2-1. The next four legs went with throw, with Littler narrowly missing a chance to break via the bull, leaving Bunting 4-3 up.
Littler then clicked into gear, reeling off an 11-dart break followed by a 12-dart hold to lead 5-4. He narrowly missed a 170 checkout on the bull for victory, allowing Bunting to level at 5-5 with a composed 56 finish. But with the throw in the decider, Littler held firm, producing strong scoring before pinning double 5 with his third match dart for a 16-darter to edge it.
Match Stats:
Littler: 98.11 average, 4x 180s, Checkout %: 60% (6/10)
Bunting: 95.25 average, 2x 180s, Checkout %: 83.33% (5/6)
Despite a steady showing and clinical finishing, Bunting couldn't fully capitalise on Littler’s slow start and remains rooted to the bottom. Littler, meanwhile, extended his lead at the top, rebounding well from his quarter-final exit in Liverpool.
Quarter-Final 2: Nathan Aspinall 6-3 Chris Dobey
Despite both averaging over 100 in Liverpool, Nathan Aspinall and Chris Dobey exited at the quarter-final stage to eventual finalists Luke Humphries and Gerwyn Price. With just five points separating them in the table, Dobey entered the tie eyeing a crucial win to close the gap in the play-off race.
It was The Asp who seized control early, racing into a 5-1 lead as Dobey struggled to find his rhythm. The Bedlington thrower missed key darts at double in three of the five legs that Aspinall won. Errors that the Stockport man clinically punished. Dobey’s lone success in that stretch came via a tidy 15-dart hold but failed to dent Aspinall’s momentum.
However, nerves began to creep in. Aspinall spurned six match darts for a 6-1 win, allowing Dobey to nick a leg for 5-2. A seventh missed match dart soon followed, and Dobey closed to 5-3 with a composed 92 finish, piling on the pressure. The final leg saw further drama as Dobey narrowly missed double 20 for a 120 checkout, before Aspinall finally sealed it with a sharp 69 finish in two darts, a relief after the late scare.
Match Stats:
Aspinall: 92.28 average, 3x 180s, Checkout %: 30% (6/20)
Dobey: 87.43 average, 2x 180s, Checkout %: 33.33% (3/9)
Aspinall banked two crucial points to move seven clear of Dobey in the standings, a key result in the context of the play-off race, with Dobey remaining in seventh.
Quarter-Final 3: Gerwyn Price 6-5 Luke Humphries
A heavyweight clash saw second-placed Luke Humphries take on third-placed Gerwyn Price in a repeat of last week’s Liverpool final, where The Iceman came out on top to level their Premier League head-to-head at 2-2. With six points separating the pair before play, this was a high-stakes showdown.
The first six legs went with throw, leaving the match delicately poised at 3-3. Humphries looked the more threatening throughout this spell, missing two darts at double 8 to break in leg one, and then one dart at bull in both the third and fifth legs, all punished by Price, who clung on each time.
The breakthrough finally came in leg seven. Price missed four darts to hold for 4-3, and Cool Hand took full advantage with a clean double 16 to break. A 13-darter followed, pushing Humphries into a 5-3 lead and within a leg of victory.
He came close to sealing it in leg nine, missing two match darts before Price fired in a clinical 82 checkout going bull, double 16, to stay alive. Humphries then hit a 180 and left 24 after 12 darts in the tenth leg, but Price produced brilliance under pressure with a sensational 91 double-double finish to level at 5-5.
A nervy decider followed, with neither player scoring at their best, but Price found one last moment of magic, a 102 checkout on tops to complete a dramatic 6-5 comeback and erupt in trademark celebration.
Match Stats:
Price: 99.43 average, 4x 180s, Checkout %: 42.86% (6/14)
Humphries: 107.46 average, 4x 180s, Checkout %: 33.33% (5/15)
Price defied a superb 107.46 average from Humphries to snatch a crucial two points in the play-off race, narrowing the gap to second place to just four points and now leading their PL head-to-head this season 3-2.
Quarter-Final 4: Michael van Gerwen 6-4 Rob Cross
The final quarter-final pitted fifth-placed Michael van Gerwen against sixth-placed Rob Cross in a clash with major play-off implications. MvG entered three points ahead of his opponent and just two points outside the top four, with both needing a strong night to stay in contention.
It was a tightly contested opening, with the match level at 3-3 after six legs. Neither player was able to take control early on, with momentum swinging both ways.
MvG then found another gear. The Dutchman produced back-to-back 13-darters to break clear and move 5-3 ahead, delivering a significant blow to Voltage’s hopes.
Cross responded with a composed 15-dart hold to close the gap to 5-4, forcing a tenth leg. He had a chance to take it all the way, but narrowly missed the bullseye for a 126 checkout. Van Gerwen needed no second invitation as he pinned double 20 with his second match dart to close out a solid 6-4 win.
Match Stats:
MvG: 95.79 average, 2x 180s, Checkout %: 54.55% (6/11)
Cross: 97.97 average, 3x 180s, Checkout %: 66.67% (4/6)
MvG landed a crucial blow to a direct play-off rival, moving five points clear of Cross in the standings and keeping pace in the play-off race with two more points banked.
Semi-Final 1: Luke Littler 6-5 Nathan Aspinall
Both players entered the semi-finals off the back of hard-fought quarter-final wins, but with different motivations. For Littler, it was another shot at a record-breaking fifth nightly win. For Aspinall, a place in the final represented a big step toward securing a play-off spot. The Nuke held a dominant head-to-head record over The Asp, winning 11 of their previous 12 meetings.
Littler flew out of the blocks with a 2-0 lead, but Aspinall responded strongly with three straight legs to edge ahead 3-2. Littler levelled, but had to survive a dart at the bull from Aspinall, who missed the chance to move 4-2 in front.
The pair exchanged 17-dart holds to move the match along to 5-4 in Aspinall’s favour. He had a match dart at the bull for a brilliant 132 finish to seal it 6-4, but missed by the narrowest of margins. Littler made no mistake on tops to force a decider.
In the final leg, Aspinall couldn’t get over the line despite having the throw and a 15-dart opportunity. Littler stepped in with a superb 174 set-up shot and nailed a 46 checkout with his last dart in hand to snatch a 6-5 victory.
Match Stats:
Littler: 96.56 average, 7x 180s, Checkout %: 35.29% (6/17)
Aspinall: 98.16 average, 3x 180s, Checkout %: 50% (5/10)
Aspinall was left ruing missed chances, falling to a 12th defeat in 13 meetings with Littler, a costly loss in his play-off push.
Semi-Final 2: Michael van Gerwen 6-3 Gerwyn Price
A clash of play-off chasers followed in the second semi-final, with Van Gerwen looking to reel in Price and Aspinall above him. The pair had split their two Premier League meetings this season, each taking one win apiece.
It was MvG who made the stronger start, punishing five missed darts at double from Price to break throw in the opening leg. The next two legs were held in style, both landing 13-darters, before Van Gerwen extended his lead with a clinical 118 checkout for 3-1.
Price responded with a superb 110 finish and a trademark roar, trying to fire himself into gear, but Van Gerwen immediately replied with a 12-dart hold to restore his cushion at 4-2. A scrappy 17-dart leg followed, where both missed doubles before Price eventually took it to narrow the gap once more.
But the Dutchman edged further clear with a steady hold for 5-3 as Price’s scoring fell away, hampered by a string of trebleless visits. The final leg turned into a doubling mess for both, but Van Gerwen eventually crossed the line in 23 darts, sealing a 6-3 win on his eighth match dart.
It was a solid display from Van Gerwen for much of the match, though the doubling in the closing stages left room for improvement. Price, meanwhile, never found his rhythm, plagued by poor scoring and wasteful finishing, and posted one of his lowest averages on a televised stage.
Match Stats:
MvG: 91.98 average, 5x 180s, Checkout %: 27.27% (6/22)
Price: 80.64 average, 2x 180s, Checkout %: 18.75% (3/16)
The result saw Van Gerwen climb back into the top four on 20 points, leapfrogging Aspinall and closing the gap to Price in 3rd to just two points.
🏆 The Final: Luke Littler 6-4 Michael van Gerwen
Luke Littler came into the final holding top spot in the table and eyeing a record-breaking fifth nightly win in this Premier League format. Van Gerwen, despite a strong run of quarter-final wins this season, was featuring in just his second final of the campaign and seeking his first nightly triumph.
MvG started brighter, racing into a 3-1 lead with some sharp finishing, but Littler soon roared back. A run of two clinical legs brought it level at 3-3 before the teenager produced a superb 12-dart hold to lead for the first time at 4-3. He nearly extended that advantage with a 164 checkout attempt, wiring the bull, which allowed Van Gerwen to respond with a 14-darter and level again at 4-4.
Unfazed, ‘The Nuke’ held throw in 14 darts to move 5-4 ahead and pile the pressure on MvG. The Dutchman missed two darts to force a decider after Littler had missed one match dart, but the teenager sealed it on his second attempt for a 6-4 victory and a historic night.
Match Stats:
Littler: 102.50 average, 2x 180s, Checkout %: 46.15% (6/13)
MvG: 94.31 average, 1x 180, Checkout %: 50% (4/8)
It marked a record-breaking fifth Premier League nightly win for Littler, the most by any player in a single season since the current format was introduced in 2022. For Van Gerwen, it was another missed opportunity to claim a night win, though he climbed into the top four and remains firmly in the play-off hunt.
Updated Premier League Table After Night 13
Luke Littler’s historic fifth night win has extended his lead at the top, now 9 points clear of Luke Humphries in 2nd place, and he is also on course to break the points record for a single campaign.
Gerwyn Price, with his win over Humphries, has closed the gap to just 4 points, maintaining his hold on 3rd. Michael van Gerwen made the biggest move of the night, climbing to 4th following his second final appearance and crucial 3-point haul, overtaking Nathan Aspinall, who was eliminated in the semi-finals.
At the other end of the table, Rob Cross, Chris Dobey, and Stephen Bunting remain in the hunt but continue to struggle, all failing to progress past the quarter-finals. Their play-off hopes are slowly fading as each night passes.
Position | Name | Nights Won | Leg Difference | Points |
1st | Luke Littler | 5 | +41 | 35 |
2nd | Luke Humphries | 2 | +13 | 26 |
3rd | Gerwyn Price | 3 | +12 | 22 |
4th | Michael van Gerwen | 0 | -8 | 20 |
5th | Nathan Aspinall | 1 | -5 | 19 |
6th | Rob Cross | 0 | -13 | 14 |
7th | Chris Dobey | 1 | -13 | 12 |
8th | Stephen Bunting | 1 | -32 | 8 |
Night 14 Fixtures: Thursday, 8th May
First Direct Arena, Leeds
Quarter-Finals:
Rob Cross v Gerwyn Price
Nathan Aspinall v Luke Littler
Luke Humphries v Michael van Gerwen
Stephen Bunting v Chris Dobey
Closing Thoughts
☢️ Littler’s Record-Breaking Night: Luke Littler etched his name further into Premier League history by securing his 5th night win, the most of any player in a single campaign since the format's introduction in 2022.
🇳🇱 MvG’s Surge: Michael van Gerwen delivered a determined performance, reaching his second final in 13 nights. His 3-point haul was vital, propelling him into 4th place, surpassing Nathan Aspinall and moving into the play-off spots for the first time since Night 9 in Berlin.
🏴 Price’s Semi-Final Disaster: Gerwyn Price's dramatic comeback in his quarter-final win over Luke Humphries, which saw him defy a 107 average and claim a 6-5 victory, was overshadowed by a dismal semi-final performance. Price was handed a 6-3 defeat by MvG, averaging just over 80, one of his lowest-ever averages on the big stage.
Upcoming Tournaments:
European Darts Grand Prix (ET6):
May 2nd-May 4th, Glaspalast, Sindelfingen (Live on PDC.tv)
Premier League Night 14:
May 8th at First Direct Arena, Leeds (Live on Sky Sports)
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