World darts champion Luke Littler faced a barrage of jeers from a hostile Brighton crowd as he suffered a second consecutive Premier League quarter-final exit, losing 6-4 to birthday boy Stephen Bunting on night 10 of the competition. The 19-year-old, still reeling from a much-publicised spat with Gian van Veen in Manchester just a week earlier, appeared visibly rattled by the intimidating atmosphere on the south coast.
A Hostile Reception Rattles the Champion
Littler was subjected to loud boos as he entered the arena, with the crowd then offering ironic cheers following a poor start from which he never truly recovered. Attempting to show he was unbothered, Littler touched his ear and shrugged towards spectators, but his confidence proved misplaced. He managed only 59 from his opening three darts and a mere 41 from the next three, losing his throw in the first leg as many in attendance revelled in his struggles.
Bunting Capitalises on Littler's Off-Night
Stephen Bunting, celebrating his 41st birthday on Thursday, capitalised on Littler's uncharacteristically low performance. Despite hitting just six of his 21 darts at a double and missing multiple opportunities to wrap up victory earlier, Bunting held his nerve in the final leg, opening with a 180 to secure the win. Littler averaged only 83.94—his lowest ever in a televised PDC match—and failed to hit a single maximum, exiting the stage meekly after a handshake.
Bunting later expressed sympathy for his opponent, telling Sky Sports, "It was tough, to be honest, because obviously the crowd was giving him some stick. I like Luke, he's a fantastic lad and I don't like to see that. It probably made me more nervous, to be honest. It put me on edge. The way he was playing, I was expecting him to burst into this barrage and it just didn't happen for him."
Other Quarter-Final Results
In other quarter-final action, seven-time champion Michael van Gerwen defeated fellow Dutchman Gian van Veen 6-4 to set up a semi-final clash with Bunting. Jonny Clayton clinched a thrilling last-leg decider against defending champion Luke Humphries with a bullseye finish, while last week's winner Gerwyn Price fell 6-3 to Josh Rock.
The surprise defeat marks a significant setback for Littler, whose form has dipped following the Manchester incident. With the Premier League season progressing, the young champion will need to regroup quickly to silence his critics and rediscover the prowess that made him world champion.
