Luke Littler beats Michael van Gerwen 6-4 to win night seven of Premier League Darts in Cardiff
Littler throws nine-darter in fourth leg of final
Win is Littler's third in seven weeks and puts him six points clear at top of table
Semi-final result: Dobey 1-6 Van Gerwen, Littler 6-2 Cross
Quarter-final results: Dobey 6-2 Bunting, Humphries 4-6 Van Gerwen, Littler 6-3 Aspinall, Price 5-6 Cross
Van Gerwen 1-1 Littler
An excellent start to leg two.
Luke Littler fires in a 180 and so does Michael van Gerwen!
Littler gets six darts at 164 for a 2-0 lead and after three, takes 92 of it out.
The Nuke, coming back for 72, goes low at his attempt at tops.
Michael van Gerwen is allowed a chance at 80 and takes the lot at double 20 to break back.
Van Gerwen 0-1 Littler
Luke Littler makes the perfect start to this match.
While Michael van Gerwen takes six darts to find a treble, Littler goes 140, 180, 127 to leave a 54 out after nine darts.
Littler misses doubles at 20, 10 and five, but is allowed a full visit back at double five.
Against the throw, Littler makes his fourth attempt there count for a break.
Van Gerwen 0-0 Littler
John Part
Former PDC world champion on Sky Sports
It is important for Michael van Gerwen to hold in this first leg.
Van Gerwen 0-0 Littler
Already, this is the fourth meeting between Michael van Gerwen and Luke Littler in the Premier League this season.
Van Gerwen beat Littler 6-5 in the quarter-finals in Belfast last month, but the last two encounters have ended in 6-2 wins for Littler.
Just over 20 minutes have passed since Littler sealed a convincing victory over Rob Cross to reach his fourth final in as many weeks.
A win here would move him six points clear at the top of the table, while a win for Van Gerwen would put him level on points with Luke Humphries and four behind Littler.
Van Gerwen to throw first, game on!
Van Gerwen v Littler
For fans of patterns and symmetry, bad news as tonight's trend ends a pattern of consecutive winners between Luke Humphries, Luke Littler and Gerwyn Price.
Littler is going for a hat-trick of night wins, while Michael van Gerwen is looking for his first in a repeat of the 2025 PDC World Darts Championship final.
2025 Premier League night winners:
Result: Dobey 6-2 Bunting
Image source, Getty ImagesStephen Bunting has posted on X following his quarter-final defeat to Chris Dobey.
Bunting is bottom of the table after seven weeks, having lost all seven of his matches in what is his first full Premier League season since 2015.
Bunting posted: "Absolutely gutted. So sorry to all who support me. Practiced so well tonight and unfortunately it just didn’t happen on the stage. I’ll keep giving it my all guys and keep believing.
"I’m making myself so nervous because I care and want to perform to my best instead of just relaxing and letting it happen.
"See you all next week. I’ll work hard and make sure I’ll improve."
Result: Dobey 1-6 Van Gerwen
Troy Luen
BBC Sport Wales at Utilita Arena, Cardiff
Just heard from Chris Dobey after his defeat by Michael van Gerwen. He feels his game is just about to turn a corner and is looking forward to getting back on the stage in his home city of Newcastle next week.
He also says he had a bit of banter with Stephen Bunting after their quarter-final – Bunting is a Liverpool fan, and Dobey didn’t hesitate to point out it’s the second time in five days that Tyneside has beaten Merseyside.
Next Thursday, Premier League Darts heads to Newcastle for night eight. The end of that night marks the halfway point of the group stage campaign.
The fixtures from night eight and night 16 of the group stage are based on the league positions of the eight players at the start of the night. That means, top of the table will play bottom, second will face seventh, third will face sixth and fourth will face fifth.
Now we know the guaranteed league positions after tonight, here are next week's quarter-final fixtures.
Quarter-finals
Semi-finals
Result: Littler 6-2 Cross
Troy Luen
BBC Sport Wales at Utilita Arena, Cardiff
Simply sublime from Luke Littler, with Shanghai on 20s setting up another World Championship final rematch with Michael van Gerwen.
They’ve had some excellent clashes this year already, with Littler winning two of the three after MVG’s night one victory.
Result: Littler 6-2 Cross
Luke Littler averaged 107.67 against Rob Cross in that match, including six 180s.
He also landed six of his 11 darts at a double.
You have to feel for Cross. For a second semi-final in a row, Cross has played decently at an average of 99.8, but could not lay a glove on his teenage opponent.
Cross only got six darts at a double, with two of them pinning doubles.
Result: Littler 6-2 Cross
Rob Cross is playing some good darts, hitting his fourth 180 of the match.
Despite that, Premier League leader Luke Littler is cruising.
Cross is down at a 164 out first, but with Littler lurking at 120.
Treble four from Cross ends his hopes at 164.
Littler needs Shanghai. He finds treble 20 and the second dart is a very high single 20. He pauses, chuckles and then pins tops for the match.
Vintage Littler.
Michael van Gerwen awaits in the final.
Littler 5-2 Cross
Rod Studd
Commentator on Sky Sports
The Rob Cross comeback has ground to a halt.
Littler 5-2 Cross
Against the throw, Luke Littler starts leg seven by firing in a 180, but Rob Cross keeps pace with the teenager as far as scoring is concerned.
Cross is down to 89, but he knows Littler waiting to go at 40.
Voltage gets one dart at bull, but is miles off the centre circle.
Littler pins tops for a 5-2 cushion.
Littler 4-2 Cross
Laura Turner
Ex-Women's World Championship quarter-finalist on Sky Sports
I would argue there isn't an area of the board where Luke Littler is weak!
Littler 4-2 Cross
Rod Studd
Commentator on Sky Sports
That is an area of the board where Luke Littler is supposed to be weak.
Littler 4-2 Cross
Back on his throw, Luke Littler is always quick to respond when he's had a bad leg, or even a bad throw.
He gets down to a finish first, but Rob Cross taps him on the shoulder with a his third 180 of the contest.
Those hopes for Cross completely fade. Littler takes out 109 on double 16 for a 4-2 lead.
Littler 3-2 Cross
Rob Cross seems to be improving, but yet another 180 from Luke Littler keeps The Nuke in control.
Missed doubles at 20 and 10 see Littler squander a chance at a 4-1 lead and Cross takes out double 16 to hold his throw.
Littler 3-1 Cross
Laura Turner
Ex-Women's World Championship quarter-finalist on Sky Sports
Is that the spark and catalyst that springs Rob Cross into action?
Littler 3-1 Cross
It's raining 180s!
Rob Cross starts his leg off with one, Luke Littler matches it.
Cross hits another to put himself on course for a nine-darter. Littler matches the 180, but it is not for a nine.
Cross finds treble 19 for seven perfect darts, but neither he or Littler take their first chances at a finish.
Voltage pins double 20 for an 11-dart break of throw. An excellent leg.