Thursday night’s Premier League Darts opener saw a rematch between both 2025 World Championship finalists, Luke Littler and Michael van Gerwen.
The 15th meeting of the two darting titans was a cracker. The young buck, and the veteran. They exchanged in a tug of war, each averaging over 100, before key darts missed ultimately led to a narrow victory for Van Gerwen.
While besting Littler in this opening night contest won’t quite serve to avenge last month’s world final, the Flying Dutchman has won the latest battle in an emerging war between the two and that, is a mental advantage.
There are eerie similarities to the way both players began their dominance on the grand stage.
Van Gerwen's rise to the top
Van Gerwen in 2013, 23 years old at the time, made it all the way to the final of the World Championship to set up a showdown against the great Phil Taylor. He would lead 4-2 in that match, but go on to lose 7-4.
He wasn’t deterred and continued to thrive on the big stage, dominating the 2013 Premier League on debut and once again meeting the Power in the final. He would have his vengeance that day and lifted the first of his seven Premier League titles.
Later that year would see the start of Van Gerwen’s World Championship campaign, one that would prove successful when he saw off Peter Wright in the final to become the youngest ever world champion.
If that all sounds familiar, it should.
Littler treads the same path
Littler also led 4-2 in 2024’s final before losing 7-4. He would go on to beat the man who denied him, Luke Humphries, in the Premier League final and he would also become the youngest ever world champion in 2025.
The question remains for Littler however, can he go on to match, or even better, the legacy of the Flying Dutchman? Many think he will.
Van Gerwen isn’t quite ready to hand over the reigns just yet though.
The Belfast battle unfolds
Back to Belfast, where Littler has just pinned the bullseye to complete a stunning 161 checkout and level the scores at 2-2.
Van Gerwen stutters on the next leg, missing three darts to hold his throw and Littler punishes him with a perfect, breaking, dart which nestles in his ever reliable double 10.
There’s a shake of the head from Van Gerwen, no doubt there’s memories re-entering his mind of Littler streaking away on the Alexandra Palace stage a month ago.
Van Gerwen is far too good of a player to write off though, no matter how bright the star he is facing shines. He breaks straight back, capitalising on a Littler mistake.
Double 17 is the saviour for the 35-year-old in the next leg, as he nails a 114 checkout to turn the tide.
And he takes the next leg too, there’s a wry smile from Littler.
Trouble returns as Van Gerwen attempts to cross the finishing line. Three match darts go begging.
Darts is already an incredibly pressurised game. Responsibility lies solely with the player for every single dart thrown and just a few inches can separate thrilling wins from gutting losses.
But the standard held by both Littler and Van Gerwen raises that pressure to a level that most players cannot live with. Littler will go on to lose this game with an average of over 113, a record in Belfast.
So when Littler takes the next two legs to set up a last leg shootout, Van Gerwen knows he cannot afford to falter. A sixth maximum signifies the start of his throw and pushes him towards another match dart.
It’s at bullseye, but it drifts into the 25. There’s a wince. Littler has been left with 167.
The second highest checkout in darts.
The door is open, with the slightest of cracks, but Littler is one of the few players in the world almost expected to knock it off its hinges.
He hits the treble 20 like it’s the easy and lines up treble 19 as 10,000 fans hold their breath.
It’s millimetres wide. Van Gerwen counts his lucky stars and pounces, the match is his.
It’s just a quarter final, on night one, but it was played like the final will be in May. It’s just the latest in the terrific rivalry that is developing between these two incredible players.
If both players win their quarter finals, we may see the second instalment in Glasgow next week and the darting world will be waiting in eager anticipation.
In 2014, Van Gerwen didn’t hold onto his Premier League title, losing to Raymond van Barneveld in the final. In 2025, Littler has a chance to make that a difference between the two in the history books.