Clayton Overcomes Littler in Rotterdam to Open Five-Point Premier League Lead

Clayton weathers early Littler storm to claim Rotterdam crown

Jonny Clayton beat Luke Littler 6-4 in Rotterdam to win Night 11 of Premier League Darts, moving five points clear at the top of the table.

Littler falls to Clayton in Rotterdam final as Welshman tightens grip on top spot...

Jonny Clayton beat Luke Littler 6-4 in the Rotterdam final on Night 11 to strengthen his lead at the top of the Premier League Darts table.

The Welshman withstood an early charge from Littler to secure back-to-back nightly wins and his fourth of the season.

Littler, meanwhile, was booed all night following his clash with Dutchman Gian van Veen in Manchester two weeks ago.

Still, the teenager started fast in the final with an 11-darter and a break of throw to take a 2-0 lead.

Clayton, however, hit back by winning the next three legs to go in front for the first time in the match.

'The Ferret' kept punishing Littler’s loose finishing, eventually sealing the win despite a 92.92 average.

“I watched last week's game against Michael (van Gerwen) and it hurt a little bit when someone said I was favourite to finish bottom,” Clayton told Sky Sports.

“That really hurt. It annoyed me a bit, to be honest. It's going good for myself now and I've got a massive smile on my face.”

Clayton, now five points clear of second-placed Littler in the table, began his night with a dominant 6-2 win over home favourite Michael van Gerwen.

He then had to grind out a 6-5 win over Josh Rock in a tense semi-final to book a final against the Premier League’s top two.

Reaching the final boosted Littler’s hopes of qualifying for the play-offs in London, but he had to deal with a hostile Rotterdam crowd from the outset.

CLAYTON RUNS RIOT IN ROTTERDAM!! 🟠🇳🇱

Jonny Clayton picks up a huge five points in Rotterdam to further increase his lead at the top of the table...

The Ferret is firing in the 2026 Premier League 🔥

📲 https://t.co/gFQK4rQ2wU#PLDarts pic.twitter.com/fILSMAn2eb

— PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) April 16, 2026

Littler then edged defending champion Luke Humphries 6-5 after almost throwing away a 5-2 lead.

Humphries had earlier beaten Van Veen 6-2, meaning both Dutch players in this year’s Premier League exited at the first hurdle in Rotterdam.

In the other quarter-final, Stephen Bunting was beaten 6-1 by Northern Ireland’s Rock, who sits bottom of the Premier League table.

The Premier League moves to Liverpool next week for Night 12.

Luke Littler silences the crowd in style as he ends his two week losing streak! 👏 pic.twitter.com/HuvulxJqjW

— Sky Sports Darts (@SkySportsDarts) April 16, 2026

'The Nuke' was met with loud jeers when he walked out against Gerwyn Price, but settled quickly and sealed a 6-3 win to quiet the arena.