Luke Littler’s pre-match antics backfire in Premier League defeat to Gerwyn Price
Luke Littler was dumped out of the Premier League at the hands of Gerwyn Price and the World Champion was in a confident mood ahead of the quarter-final clash
Luke Littler faced a crushing defeat to Gerwyn Price in their quarter-final match on the third night of the Premier League in Dublin. The Nuke let his rival build a substantial lead for the second week in a row, falling 4-1 behind the Welshman.
Unlike the previous week, there was no magical comeback for the current World Champion, as Price secured his place in the semi-finals with a 6-4 victory. Despite an average just under 100, Littler was not at his best during the clash with Price and appeared visibly annoyed with his performance at times.
However, it was a different scene before the match, with Littler joining in as the Irish crowd sang a chant for his opponent Price. The young star was caught by Sky Sports cameras enjoying the crowd’s chant, but after a disappointing loss, he’s unlikely to be singing Price’s praises anytime soon.
Especially since Littler has now lost his last five matches against the Iceman, who seems to have the upper hand in recent encounters.
The duo faced off at a Players Championship event earlier this month, with Price narrowly winning a 6-5 thriller, having already defeated Littler 6-2 at the Bahrain Masters in January, reports the Express.
Sky Sports Darts’s Wayne Mardle on commentary said: “Price was the better player, there’s no doubt about that. He was the better player from the outset and he loves it!”
The loss for Littler comes followingnight of crowd chaos in Glasgow last week, with fans having booed and whistled at several players during key moments.
The PDC said: “Following Thursday’s Premier League Darts night in Glasgow, the PDC wishes to strongly reiterate that it does not condone any behaviour which can disrupt an event, such as whistling or booing when players are throwing.
“Every player goes on stage with the intention of performing to the best of their ability and providing an entertaining spectacle for all fans, whether in the venue or watching worldwide.”
