There is a famous piece of darts commentary in which the late, great Sid Waddell compared the achievements of Eric Bristow with those of a 33-year-old Alexander the Great, adding that “Bristow is only 27”. Unbelievably, the all-conquering Luke Littler may have outstripped both the famous Greek king and the Crafty Cockney – and he is still just 19!
The Nuke has broken, smashed really, so many records since he exploded onto the scene when making the final of the World Championship when still just 16. However, he now has yet another in his sites, as his latest win in the Premier League meant he has now equalled the record for the most nightly wins in a season. That is, we should add, a record that he himself set last term!
Littler Leads Lukes in Leeds
LITTLER WINS IN LEEDS!!
It’s three wins in a row, and sixth nightly win of the year for Luke Littler as he brings an end to Humphries’ winning run in Leeds!
📲 https://t.co/gFQK4rQ2wU#PLDarts pic.twitter.com/ruh8ua20bz
— PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) May 7, 2026
Littler beat his namesake and rival Luke Humphries in the final in Leeds. Humphries is a huge Leeds United fan. A fact that sounds made up but that is true, and we can’t decide whether it is incredible or just incredibly sad, is that Humphries was given his first name as an acronym for Leeds United Kings (of) Europe.
With Littler a keen Man United supporter and no love lost between the two football teams, there is always a little extra spice when he plays Premier League Darts in Leeds. That is even more the case when he faces Humphries, who may be from Berkshire but has been warmly embraced in this part of West Yorkshire.
Humphries, ranked number two in the world, had won the night in Leeds in both 2025 and 2024 and was bidding for a hat-trick. However, instead it was the world number one who completed a hat-trick of his own, Littler’s triumph in Leeds his third win in a row in the 2026 Premier League Darts season.
The two-time world champion headed to Leeds with wins in Liverpool and Aberdeen under his belt and beat Michael van Gerwen in the first round, edging through 6-5. He averaged just over 100, though MVG’s three-dart average was a little better. It was a similar picture in the semis, where Jonny Clayton outscored him 98.82 to 94.69 but the Nuke again won 6-5.
Incredibly Littler was again outthrown by his opponent in the final and yet again got the job done by the tightest possible margin. Both men had a triple-digit average but it was the world number one who won, 6-5 again, despite vocal “home” support for Humphries.
Littler is so often lauded for his heavy scoring so the fact that he managed to win in Leeds in the style he did is, perhaps, even more ominous for his rivals. In the final both players had a check-out percentage above 45% and it was a high-quality affair, as one would expect between these two modern-day greats.
Six Wins Again, Two Chances for a New Record
As well as being his third win in a row, Littler’s success in Leeds was his sixth nightly win of the Premier League season. Nobody has ever won more than that and, as said, only Littler himself has previously won that many, doing so last year. Before his record in 2025 the most wins over a single season stood at just four, which really indicates just how impressive the Warrington ace has been.
Having now tied his own record, the youngster has two attempts to break it and set a mark that is sure to be unchallenged for some time. At least unchallenged by anyone else that is. The final two nights take place on the 14th and 21st of May in Birmingham and Sheffield respectively. Littler has won six out of 14 nights thus far, so it is far from certain he will win one of the final two rounds, but equally we can’t rule out him taking both.
Whatever happens in Birmingham and Sheffield, it is almost certain that this is a record Littler will hold for many years, be that with six, seven or even eight wins. What is less certain is whether he will be able to convert this fine form during the league stage into overall glory.
He has, of course, long since qualified for the play-offs, in what has been a stellar campaign in terms of the general quality of play. After 14 nights both Lukes are averaging over 100, with two other players going 98+. Four players in total have completed a 170 checkout, while two, though surprisingly not either of the top two players in the world, have a checkout percentage higher than 45%!
With so many players performing at this sort of level, Littler cannot be certain of winning the Premier League trophy. He won it in 2024 but Humphries got the better of him in the decider last year. He is the odds-on favourite, priced at just 3/4, but Jonny Clayton and the other two qualifiers (who are yet to be decided) will all fancy their chances on the all-important night at the O2 in London on the 28th of May.