Stephen Bunting said he was going to Winter Wonderland in London on New Year's Eve.

"Walking in a Bunting Wonderland," sing the crowd.

This match could come down to the doubles, and which player ends in blunderland.

Comfortable hold for Peter Wright.

He too secures it on double 16. Still on throw early in this match.

Cheers from the Ally Pally crowd as Stephen Bunting hits double 16 for a 16-dart hold.

Both players needed just a bit of time to warm up in that leg but a 140 ensured Bunting stayed in control.

Stephen Bunting and what sounds like a pretty partisan crowd are still going strong!

Image source, PA Media

Stephen Bunting cups his ears and asks for more noise from the crowd as David Guetta's Titanium plays.

That's before he's even started making his way to the stage!

The crowd only gets louder and louder once he makes it there. What a entrance from The Bullet.

Here we go then, it's walk-on time and first up it's Peter Wright.

There are a few boos for Snakebite, perhaps not all that surprising given the popularity of Stephen Bunting.

But the fans are still singing along to Don't Stop The Party by Pitbull and enjoy seeing Wright do his familiar jig across the stage.

Image source, Getty Images

If you're reading this, our guess is you probably think it is - and while opinion differs, you'd be right.

Darts has been officially recognised as a sport by all of the sports councils in the United Kingdom.

Sport England recognised darts as a sporting activity in March 2005 and Sport Wales, Sport Northern Ireland and Sport Scotland followed suit.

Hit the thumbs if you agree, or disagree.

Stephen Bunting boasts a better average, of nearly 97, than Peter Wright in this year's tournament so far.

But Wright is well ahead on the doubles with a 52% checkout success rate.

Image source, PA Media

R2: 3-1 v Kai Gotthardt

R3: 4-1 v Madars Razma

R4: 4-0 v Luke Woodhouse

180s: 14

Ton-plus checkouts: 4

Image source, PA Media

R2: 3-1v Wesley Plaisier

R3: 4-2 v Jermaine Wattimena

R4: 4-1 v Luke Humphries

180s: 19

Ton-plus checkouts: 4

First up tonight then, it's a cracking contest between Peter Wright and Stephen Bunting.

Snakebite is coming off a surprise win over world number one and defending champion Luke Humphries.

The 2020 and 2022 champion not only beat him but did so convincingly, rolling back the years as he averaged 100.93 and made a staggering 70% of his doubles.

Meanwhile, eighth seed Bunting cruised into the quarter-finals with a 4-0 win over Luke Woodhouse.

The Masters champion was in control throughout and has extra gears to go to after averaging 96.78 and hitting 41.4% of his doubles in that one.

Evening Session

Peter Wright v Stephen Bunting

Luke Littler v Nathan Aspinall

Just over a year ago, he was barely a household name in his own home. Now he is a sporting phenomenon.

After emerging from obscurity aged 16 to reach the 2024 World Championship final, the life of Luke Littler and the sport he loves has been transformed. Viewing figures, ticket sales and social media interest have rocketed. Darts has hit the bullseye.

At Christmas more than 100,000 children were expected to be opening Littler-branded magnetic dartboards as presents.

His impact has helped double the number of junior academies, prompted plans to expand the World Championship and generated interest in darts from Saudi Arabian backers.

• How Luke Littler's rise boosted darts

Image source, PA Media

We want to hear your thoughts throughout the evening on tonight's matches and the competition as a whole.

Who's your tip to win and why? What's been your moment of the tournament so far?

Have your say using #bbcdarts on X, via WhatsApp on 03301231826 or text 81111 (standard network charges apply). Please leave your name on text messages.

The final is the best of 13 sets, so first to seven wins.

It's the first to three legs who takes a set.

A deciding set must be won by two clear legs. If the score in the final set reaches 5-5 then a sudden-death leg will be played. There would be no throw for the bull in any sudden-death leg.

• World Championship schedule, results, draw, forrmat

Glen Durrant
Former Premier League champion on Sky Sports

Quarter-final day for me is the best day of the tournament. The players will expect to get to the last eight, but getting to the semi-finals and final is a bonus so they will feel relaxed and that's conducive to wonderful darts.

Image source, Getty Images

Three-time winner Michael van Gerwen battled past unseeded Callan Rydz in a brilliant last-eight tie to set up a semi-final against Chris Dobey.

Third seed Van Gerwen's last world title came in 2019 but he held off the big-scoring Rydz in impressive style to win 5-3 and move a step closer to a fourth triumph at Alexandra Palace.

"To be part of games like this always gives you a lot of joy. It's probably one of my best performances in a long time," Van Gerwen told Sky Sports.

Meanwhile, Dobey came from two sets down to beat former champion Gerwyn Price 5-3 and reach the last four for the first time.

Dobey, who lost in the last eight in the past two years, held firm after a blistering start from Wales's 2021 winner Price to win four sets on the bounce and had five darts to win 5-2.

Read more here.

Before we go any further, I mentioned two fantastic quarter-finals having already taken place, so let's have a look at what happened...

Image source, Getty Images

It's a new year but the same brilliant darts at this year's PDC World Championship!

We're halfway through the quarter-finals and we've had two fantastic matches - more on that shortly - with two more to come.

The evening starts with a mouth-watering clash between two-time world champion Peter Wright, fresh from beating last year's winner Luke Humphries, taking on fan favourite Stephen Bunting.

As if that wasn't enough, the night ends with fourth seed and tournament favourite Luke Littler up against 12th seed Nathan Aspinall.

It promises to be quite the start to 2025...