Luke Littler and Luke Humphries have already played their way into darts’ defining modern rivalry. At the O2 Arena, Sky Sports presenter Emma Paton believes they may also have produced the greatest Premier League Darts final of all time. Littler reclaimed the title with an 11-10 win over Humphries in London, ending the 2026 season with a final that never dipped below elite level for long. Littler averaged 111.67 and hit 14 maximums. Humphries averaged 105.60, produced a brutal run of ton-plus finishes and forced a deciding leg after Littler had missed a match dart.
For Emma Paton, the argument was clear. “It's got to be up there as one of the best Premier League finals of all time,” she told the Sky Sports Love the Darts podcast. “The level we saw here was unbelievably high.” The Premier League has had its share of dramatic title matches, but commentator Stuart Pyke felt this one stood apart because the tension was matched by sustained quality. “Looking back, Gary Anderson winning for the first time, Van Gerwen beating Taylor was significant. Heartbreak for Peter Wright and Joe Cullen who missed match darts to win it, but for sheer drama and quality all the way through, it's got to be the best,” he said.
Humphries looked to have taken control before the interval. The defending champion fired in checkouts of 134, 112 and 121 in successive legs to move 6-3 ahead, before Littler kept himself close with an 81 finish for an 11-darter. That became the pattern of the final. Humphries struck. Littler answered. Neither player managed to pull clear for long. Littler levelled at 7-7 with an 84 finish for another 11-darter, then later went seven perfect darts into a possible nine-darter before breaking throw with a 10-dart leg to move 10-9 in front. Even then, Humphries refused to fold. After Littler missed a match dart at D20, the reigning champion took out 68 in two darts to force a decider. Humphries had the throw in the final leg, but when he failed to reach a double from 156, Littler stepped in and finished 54 on tops to take the crown.
Sky Sports reporter Michael Bridge was just as emphatic, even while acknowledging that Littler and Humphries are now meeting so often at the highest level that ranking their best matches is becoming harder. “They play each other constantly and maybe they have even played better matches in other tournaments,” said Bridge. “But if we are looking specifically at Premier League finals, then in terms of level this was absolutely sensational. This was the best Premier League final I have ever seen.” Littler won their 2024 meeting, famously hitting a nine-darter on the way. Humphries struck back in 2025. The 2026 edition went all the way to a deciding leg and pushed their rivalry further into its own space at the top of the sport.
Both had already survived before the final. Littler edged Gerwyn Price 10-9 after the Welshman fought back from 9-4 down. Humphries beat Jonny Clayton 10-9 after surviving a match dart. By the time the final arrived, both players had already been taken to the brink. They still produced the match of the night. The case for this final is not built on one dramatic finish alone. It had the rivalry, the averages, the maximums, the huge checkouts, the missed match dart and the deciding leg. It also had two players refusing to let the occasion reduce the standard. For Littler, it delivered a second Premier League title and moved him alongside Michael van Gerwen, Phil Taylor and Gary Anderson as one of only four players to win the competition more than once. For Humphries, it was a brutal defeat, but one that still reinforced his place in the rivalry currently driving elite darts. The “best ever” debate will not end quickly. But after 21 legs of Littler and Humphries at that level, Pyke and Bridge had little doubt. The Premier League may have just found its new benchmark.