Luke Littler dismantled Jonny Clayton 6-1 in Liverpool on week 12, claiming his fourth nightly win of this Premier League campaign and averaging more than 104 in the final to seal the victory.
The 18-year-old had earlier beaten Luke Humphries 6-2 in the quarter-finals and was pushed to the limit by Michael van Gerwen in the semi-final before producing the finishing touch in the final with a 60% checkout rate; Clayton managed only one of his six double attempts in the match.
The result tightens the fight at the top of the table: Jonny Clayton still leads the Premier League by three points over Littler, but Littler sits clear of the chasing pack, 15 points ahead of Gian van Veen in fifth. With four league-phase nights remaining before finals night at London's O2 Arena on 28 May, the premiership table is taking shape around two men.
Littler's night on Merseyside was far from comfortable. He was booed throughout the evening — a reaction he acknowledged but dismissed as smaller than what he has faced recently. "Rotterdam was way louder than this tonight," he said, adding, "There was a little bit [of booing] but this week was nothing compared to last week." He refused to let it affect his focus: "I've just got to forget about it. I was definitely focused and wanted to win tonight, and that's what I've done."
The trajectory of Littler's week underlines how quickly the contest has narrowed. He has now taken four nightly titles, and after a run that included a 6-2 quarter-final win over Humphries, he told reporters, "I'm very close to Jonny now and I'm going to go chasing." Littler also reminded everyone of his aims: "I want to finish top once again and if it's not to be then it's not to be, but there are still four weeks left to play for." He won the Premier League in 2024 and has twice finished top of the table heading into finals night, a record that gives weight to his declared ambition.
There is strain in the storyline. Clayton, despite his poor doubles night in Liverpool, remains top of the standings and has the cushion of three points; form and consistency across the remaining league nights will determine whether that lead holds. Meanwhile, the rest of the field looks distant: Littler's 15-point gap to fifth place means he is the clear second force, and the battle for the remaining play-off berths looms separately.
That separation is particularly stark for Luke Humphries, last May's champion, who sits down in sixth on the table after 12 weeks. Humphries has seven match wins across those 12 weeks but is yet to win a night this season, a precarious position as only the top four qualify for finals night. The contrast between his results and Littler's ability to convert nights into trophies highlights the fine margins left in the run-in.
As the league heads into its final four weeks, the tightness at the summit and the clear gap to the rest set a simple stage: Littler has closed the distance, Clayton retains the lead, and every night matters. Littler left Liverpool insisting he would chase the lead; with his scoring, checkout efficiency and a fourth nightly win in week 12 behind him, he has turned a two-man scrap into the defining storyline of the run-up to 28 May.
