Sporting Life
Luke Littler and Gian van Veen
Luke Littler and Gian van Veen

Darts results: Luke Littler loses his cool during last leg decider against Gian van Veen in Manchester

By Sporting Life
Darts
Thu April 03, 2026 · 1h ago

Luke Littler's temper spilled over during a dramatic quarter-final defeat to Gian van Veen on night nine of the Premier League in Manchester.

The world champion, who beat van Veen in the Ally Pally final back in January, was hot favourite to make it a hat-trick of nightly victories to consolidate his spot at the top of the table but instead leaves his 'home' city with zero points.

Littler was performing well below his usual best as his Dutch opponent forced a deciding leg in which the Nuke tried to whip up his fans.

The world number one then took exception to something after Van Veen missed double 15 and then proceeded to miss his own match dart and would not get another visit.

Van Veen went on to reach the final despite only recently recovering from kidney stones but ultinately finished runner-up to an inspired Gerwyn Price, who surged up to second in the table.

Price produced a hat-trick of terrific displays to prevail at the AO Arena, recording 6-2 victories over Luke Humphries, Stephen Bunting and van Veen to seal his second nightly win of the campaign.

The Welshman kicked off his quarter-final clash against Humphries with successive 167 and 135 checkouts, which set the tone for a memorable night in the North West.

Price averaged 104.47 in overcoming reigning champion Humphries, before delivering the performance of the tournament so far in his semi-final showdown against Bunting.

The 41-year-old averaged 112.91 and converted a roof-raising 170 combination to topple the Liverpudlian, who averaged over 106 in defeat.

Price – also a winner on Night Two in Antwerp – was equally imperious in Thursday’s final, landing a brace of 128 checkouts en route to establishing a commanding 4-0 cushion.

Van Veen responded with successive holds to halt Price’s charge, although the former World Champion maintained his merciless march to victory, sealing the title with a 105.84 average.

“I was chasing two points first and foremost in my first game against Luke,” reflected Price, who leapfrogs his World Cup partner Jonny Clayton into second spot on legs difference.

“It was a tough game. I started off with two big checkouts which settled me into the game, and then I played really well against Stephen, who I also thought played well.

“I don’t think Gian was really on his game in the final, but you just feel sometimes that you can’t miss, and that’s how it felt tonight.”

Van Veen’s appearance in a fourth nightly final of 2026 saw him move to within a point of the Play-Off positions, as the European Champion returned to winning ways in Manchester.

The 23-year-old was without a win since Night Four in Belfast, but he snapped that streak with a dramatic deciding-leg victory over Luke Littler in the quarter-finals.

Van Veen backed up his victory over Littler with a 6-3 success against Josh Rock, conjuring up a magnificent 160 finish to leave the AO Arena with three points to his name.

Earlier in the night, Rock recorded his second straight victory over Clayton to seal his spot in the semi-finals, defying a 107.44 average from the Welshman to run out a 6-4 winner.

In the evening’s other quarter-final, Bunting defied a stirring fightback from Michael van Gerwen to close out a 6-3 victory, despite a 104 average from the Dutchman.

Littler remains two points clear at the top of the table despite his early exit on home soil, with Price, Clayton and Van Gerwen occupying the top four positions.

Van Veen has leapfrogged Humphries into fifth spot, with Bunting and Rock sat in seventh and eighth place respectively.

The Brighton Centre plays host to Night Ten on Thursday April 9, as Price begins his bid for back-to-back nightly wins against Rock, while Van Gerwen and Van Veen collide in an all-Dutch affair.

Humphries and Clayton go head-to-head in the evening’s opener, whilst Littler aims to return to winning ways against Bunting.

Ranking points are awarded per night - with five to the winner, three to the runner-up and two to the semi-finalists - to form the league table from which the top four players will progress to Finals Night at The O2 in London on Thursday May 28.

Premier League Night Nine results

Quarter-Finals

  • Stephen Bunting 6-3 Michael van Gerwen
  • Gerwyn Price 6-2 Luke Humphries
  • Gian van Veen 6-5 Luke Littler
  • Josh Rock 6-4 Jonny Clayton

Semi-Finals

  • Gerwyn Price 6-2 Stephen Bunting
  • Gian van Veen 6-3 Josh Rock

Final

  • Gerwyn Price 6-2 Gian van Veen

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