Premier League Darts: Michael van Gerwen beats Luke Littler in the final on the second evening in Berlin

February 8, 2024, 23:10 GMT

Updated 25 minutes ago

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Michael van Gerwen won a record seventh Premier League title in 2023

Michael van Gerwen triumphed on the second night of the Premier League in Berlin as he beat teenager Luke Littler in the deciding game of a thrilling final.

The 17-year-old World Championship runner-up Littler missed two darts on double 10 to beat Van Gerwen and win a Premier League night for the first time.

But the defending champion and seven-time winner, 34, was able to finish the game on his next visit.

The winner of the first evening, Michael Smith, remains at the top of the table with seven points.

Five of the seven games on the second night went into playoffs – including Van Gerwen, who beat Smith, and Littler, who eliminated world champion Luke Humphries in the final four games – and the final was another exciting battle that went the distance.

The Dutch thrower and Littler have already met in two finals in 2024, with Littler winning the Bahrain Darts Masters and Van Gerwen emerging victorious at the Dutch Darts Masters.

Van Gerwen was beaten in his opening night quarter-final in Cardiff but averaged over 100 in all three games in Germany.

“I played really well – in the important moments I was able to keep the pressure on my opponents,” he told Sky Sports.

“I feel good, I feel comfortable and there’s more to come. It is good.” [facing Littler in another final] and I hope we can keep it that way.”

Nathan Aspinall and Peter Wright are the only two players yet to win a game in this year's Premier League, although both performed much better in their quarter-final defeats to Van Gerwen and Humphries respectively.

The third matchday of the Premier League takes place on Thursday, February 15th in Glasgow.

Second night results

Michael van Gerwen 6-5 Luke Littler

Michael van Gerwen 6-5 Michael Smith

Luke Littler 6-5 Luke Humphries

Nathan Aspinall 4-6 Michael van Gerwen

Michael Smith 6-5 Gerwyn Price

Luke Littler 6-5 Rob Cross

Luke Humphries 6-4 Peter Wright