'I'm glad to say it's over. It's been a tough 17 weeks' - Luke Littler comes up short in bid for Premier League glory

Luke Littler's bid to win a second consecutive Premier League Darts title fell short, as the 18-year-old Englishman was defeated 11-8 by Luke Humphries in the playoff final.

Littler got off to a strong start on the night, beating Gerwyn Price 10-7 in the semi-finals. In the final, he raced into leads of 3-0 and 5-3, but couldn’t maintain his advantage as Humphries fought back to claim the title. It was a tough blow for Littler, who had dominated the league phase — finishing top of the table after sixteen weeks with an impressive six nightly wins and a total of 45 points, eleven clear of Humphries in second place.

However, he was unable to put the finishing touch on a superb campaign. As a result, Michael van Gerwen and Phil Taylor remain the only players to have successfully defended their Premier League crowns. Despite the disappointment, Littler remained composed and determined after the final. “I had a little bit of a thing after the game. No one likes losing. But I'm fine,” he said defiantly.

The teenager is keen to focus on the positives. “I'm glad to say it's over. It's been a tough 17 weeks. So yeah, I'm very happy it's over but I've come runner-up so I'll be back next year!"

Already looking ahead, Littler added: “I've set many records, and personally, I don't think they'll be broken. But I'm going to go again next year and try to beat my own records," he says. "A little break now, then straight out to the World Series."

Littler will skip this weekend’s European Darts Open, the eighth event on the 2025 European Tour. His next major outing is expected at the World Cup of Darts, held in Frankfurt from June 12 to 15, where he will represent England alongside Humphries.