Man Utd fan Littler wins in Liverpool despite boos

Teenager Luke Littler won his third night of the Premier League season with a comfortable 6-2 win over Rob Cross in Liverpool.

Littler has become a fan favourite across the UK, but with the 17-year-old a fan of Manchester United he was roundly booed by the 8,500-capacity crowd.

He played up to it though, often cupping his hands to his ears, and signalling 2-0 to the crowd ahead of his quarter-final in response to Liverpool's defeat at Everton on Wednesday.

Littler, who beat Gerwyn Price and Nathan Aspinall to reach the final, raced into a five-leg lead in the final before seeing out the win after a brief Cross fightback.

Littler tops the table from world champion Luke Humphries and is now practically assured of his place in the play-offs at London's O2 Arena on 23 May.

"I knew what was coming this week and I was building up to it," Littler told Sky Sports.

"I always engage with the crowd and the semi-final I was playing with complete freedom.

"I just felt comfortable tonight. I knew what was coming and I was glad to win."

Littler often plays to the crowd and interacts with them, but tonight he reached a new level of confidence.

The night will be the first time he has had the crowd against him during his developing career but he took it in his stride superbly and used it to spur himself on.

Warrington-born Littler beat Price 6-3 in the quarter-finals, despite not hitting a 180, but his checkout percentage of 50% saw him through.

He was 5-2 down in his semi-final against last week’s winner Aspinall, but reeled off four successive legs to reach his fourth final of the season.

The World Championship runner-up raced into a five-leg lead against Cross, who had lost in the quarter-finals in the past six weeks.

There have been 15 clean sweeps in Premier League history, but none in 2024, and 2018 world champion Cross broke Littler in leg six to avoid that.

Littler held in leg eight and sealed a win that puts him five points clear at the top of the table and within touching distance of the play-offs on debut.

"It's been looking tight [for the play-off places] the last few weeks but I'm glad to win and be clear of it," said Littler.

"I'm happy to push myself away from the other people but I know it's going to be tight for the other bunch."

Quarter-finals

Luke Littler 6-3 Gerwyn Price

Luke Humphries 2-6 Nathan Aspinall

Peter Wright 3-6 Michael van Gerwen

Michael Smith 4-6 Rob Cross

Semi-finals

Littler 6-5 Aspinall

Van Gerwen 2-6 Cross

Final

Littler 6-2 Cross

Premier League Darts is played across 16 initial weeks in the league stage with quarter-finals, semi-finals and a final each night.

Each of the eight players is guaranteed to face the other seven in the quarter-finals in weeks 1-7 and 9-15, with weeks 8 and 16's fixtures done off the table. It means we will get fourth v fifth in Sheffield on the final league-stage night, with the play-off spots potentially on the line.

Players earn two points per quarter-final win, an additional point if they win their semi-final and five for winning the night.

The top four players after the group stage progress to the play-off night at London's O2 Arena on 23 May, with first facing fourth and second against third in a best-of-19-leg match. The final, which is the best of 21 legs, follows.

If players are level on points after the 16 weeks then places are decided by nights won and then matches won.

2 May in Aberdeen

Peter Wright v Michael Smith

Luke Littler v Nathan Aspinall

Michael van Gerwen v Rob Cross

Gerwyn Price v Luke Humphries