Luke Humphries came agonisingly close to defending his Premier League Darts title on Thursday evening, but ultimately fell 11-10 to world champion Luke Littler in a historic final at The O2 Arena. Despite the painful defeat, Humphries reacted with remarkable sportsmanship, immediately acknowledging the quality of his young compatriot and praising the extraordinary standard of the match, which many are already calling one of the greatest ever seen in Premier League Darts.
For Humphries, there was more at stake than just another title. The reigning champion had the opportunity to join an exclusive group: only Phil Taylor and Michael van Gerwen had previously managed to successfully defend their Premier League crown. For a long time, that dream looked realistic. Humphries played a phenomenal final, recording an average of nearly 106 and producing world-class finishes including checkouts of 134, 121, and 112. Yet even that level proved insufficient against a relentless Littler, who delivered a 111.67 average and twelve maximums.
Afterwards, Humphries appeared visibly disappointed but showed no frustration toward his opponent. “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.” The final featured hardly any weak moments, with both players constantly piling pressure on each other through heavy scoring, rapid-fire legs, and spectacular finishes. Humphries stormed out with two consecutive 13-darters, while Littler produced three 11-dart legs and a sensational 10-darter at a crucial moment.
One moment 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, coolly taking 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 lost the deciding leg, Humphries showed remarkable resilience by fighting back when the title appeared virtually gone.
Reflecting on his overall campaign, Humphries said: “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!” The rivalry between the two English superstars continues to dominate darts, with Littler winning the 2024 Premier League final, Humphries gaining revenge in 2025, and Littler now earning his second title in 2026. Humphries proved with his performance that he can more than live with Littler’s standard; with an average of nearly 106, he would have comfortably won almost any other televised tournament on another night.
