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Michael van Gerwen was knocked out of the Premier League after failing in his win-or-bust mission in Sheffield as a record-breaking Luke Littler won a sixth night. The seven-times Premier League champion has had a miserable campaign and came into the final weekly night having to win to stay in contention for the playoffs.
But Van Gerwen fell at the first hurdle, losing 6-2 to Nathan Aspinall, whose victory guaranteed him a top-four spot and completed the lineup for next week’s playoffs at the O2 in London.
It is only the second time in 13 years that Van Gerwen, who has won the competition more than any other player, has not made the finals night. His exit is another stark reminder that he is no longer at the top of the sport, sitting well below Littler and Luke Humphries.
That duo met in a fifth final of the campaign as their enduring rivalry continues to dominate the sport and Littler came out on top, with a 6-3 success. It was his sixth nightly win and he claimed a piece of history by posting a record points haul of 45; a new high in this format of the competition.
“For myself, this is just the warm-up,” Littler said. “It’s been tough, it’s a tough format but I’ve got myself through. I’m happy to be top. I’m ready for the semi-final, it’s the O2, I have won a semi-final before, I’m looking forward to it.”
The latest instalment of their matchup could well prove to be a dress rehearsal for next week’s playoff final, with both players favourites to get through their semi-finals.
Littler will play Gerwyn Price after the Welshman threw away a 4-1 lead to lose 6-5 against Chris Dobey, which meant he slipped to fourth place. Aspinall knew that victory would book his place in the top four for the third time in his career and he delivered a fine performance against the struggling Van Gerwen. That set up a semi-final against Humphries while Dobey, Rob Cross and Stephen Bunting join Van Gerwen in exiting the tournament.
