Luke Littler is bidding to create BetMGM Premier League history in Berlin, as the sport’s biggest roadshow rolls into the German capital on Thursday evening.
The Uber Arena will play host to Night Nine of this year’s competition on Thursday April 3, as Littler bids to extend his eight-point cushion at the Premier League summit.
The World Champion celebrated a record-equalling fourth nightly win of the campaign in Newcastle last week, and now he’s aiming to become the first player to claim five nightly wins in the same season.
“I never really say I’m the best in the world, but I am performing at a really good level at the moment,” admitted the teenage phenom.
“I'm playing too well for players not to be thinking about playing me, rather than just playing the board.
"I'm sitting comfortably at the top of the table now, so hopefully I should be even more settled going into the next few weeks.
“I want to finish top of the table again, I want to go back-to-back, but my main goal now is to get my fifth nightly win in Berlin.”
Littler will take on Chris Dobey in his quarter-final opener, having edged out the Bedlington star in a last-leg decider when the pair last met on Night Five in Brighton.
The winner will face a semi-final assignment against either Gerwyn Price or Michael van Gerwen, who go head-to-head in Thursday’s fourth quarter-final.
Price ran out an emphatic 6-1 winner in their last Premier League tussle on Night Six, although Van Gerwen responded with a comeback victory on the European Tour in Germany less than a fortnight ago.
The Dutchman overturned a 4-1 deficit and defied a 107 average from Price to triumph in Gottingen, but the Welshman warmed up for this week’s action with victory at Players Championship Nine on Monday.
“I've been struggling with a bit of an injury over the last week, and it's still not 100%,” conceded Price, who trails Van Gerwen in third spot by a solitary point.
“It was nice to get another win on the ProTour this week, and this gives me a good confidence boost going into the Premier League on Thursday.
“I was 4-1 up against Michael on the European Tour the other week and I lost 6-4.
“It doesn’t matter how well you’re playing, these players can come back and beat you, so I need to be at the top of my game.”
Stephen Bunting and Nathan Aspinall kick off Thursday’s proceedings in Berlin, and the Liverpudlian arrives in Germany buoyed by his performances on the ProTour this week.
Bunting recorded a tournament average of 103 across his five games at Tuesday’s Players Championship Ten, having averaged 111.72 in his last 16 success against Mike De Decker.
The former Lakeside Champion is now aiming to open his Premier League account at the ninth time of asking when he takes on Aspinall, who is currently two points adrift of the Play-Off places.
"I've played some really good stuff on the ProTour, and getting those wins under my belt has been massive for my confidence," claimed Bunting, who has averaged over 100 in four of his last six Premier League games.
"I've been happy with my performances. My scoring has been really strong, but my doubles have let me down in certain moments and at this level, a game can switch on one mistake.
"I honestly cannot wait to get my first win, and with the confidence I've gained this week, I'm really looking forward to the game against Nathan tomorrow night.
"The atmosphere is going to be incredible. The fanbase I've got here in Germany is great, and it would be nice to give something back to them."
The evening’s other quarter-final encounter pits Rob Cross against Luke Humphries, as the pair meet for the first time since their epic contest in Brighton.
Humphries landed his first televised nine-darter before succumbing to a 111 average from Cross on the south coast, which sparked a run of three consecutive quarter-final defeats for the world number one.
However, Humphries featured in last week's Night Eight final to restore his five-point buffer in second place, while Cross has registered back-to-back wins over Price to move level with the Welshman on 12 points.
The 2025 Premier League sees eight of the sport’s biggest names contesting 16 mini-events during the season, with each league night comprising quarter-finals, semi-finals and a final over the best of 11 legs.
Ranking points will be awarded per night - with five to the winner, three to the runner-up and two to the semi-finalists - to form the league table from which the top four players will progress to the Play-Offs at The O2 in London on Thursday May 29.
The 2025 BetMGM Premier League will be broadcast live on Sky Sports in the UK & Ireland, through the PDC's worldwide broadcast partners including DAZN and Viaplay, and on PDCTV for Rest of the World Subscribers (outside of the UK, Ireland, Germany, Austria & Switzerland)
2025 BetMGM Premier League
Night Nine - Thursday April 3
1900 local time (1800 BST)
Uber Arena, Berlin
Quarter-Finals
Nathan Aspinall v Stephen Bunting
Luke Humphries v Rob Cross
Chris Dobey v Luke Littler
Michael van Gerwen v Gerwyn Price
Semi-Finals
Aspinall/Bunting v Humphries/Cross
Dobey/Littler v Van Gerwen/Price
Final
v
All matches best of 11 legs
