Luke Littler has cut the gap at the top of the Premier League Darts table to just three points after a commanding 6-1 victory over leader Jonny Clayton on Night 12 in Liverpool. The win moves Littler to 29 points, while Clayton remains on top with 32 points and four weeks remaining in the league phase.
The atmosphere in Liverpool was hostile for Littler, with the crowd firmly behind Clayton, booing and cheering at every miss from the young Englishman. But Littler appeared unfazed, growing into the match and showing his class on the doubles. After the match, he told Sky Sports: "It was a good night. I'm very happy with myself. Usually the doubling is not there, but I'm very thankful it was tonight. A lot of crucial doubles at crucial times."
The final was one-sided from the start, with Littler racing into a 5-0 lead. Clayton had looks only at the bullseye in the first three legs, illustrating Littler's dominance. Clayton did manage to take a leg to avoid a whitewash, but Littler closed out the 6-1 victory professionally.
Behind the top two, Gerwyn Price sits third on 19 points, followed by Michael van Gerwen on 18. Gian van Veen is on 14 points, and reigning champion Luke Humphries is on 13. All still have a chance at the play-offs but need strong finishes.
Littler, who claimed his fourth nightly title of the season, made his intentions clear: "I'm very close to Jonny now, three points off. I'm going to go chasing - I want to finish top once again - and if it's not to be, it's not to be. But there's still four weeks to go."
