Luke Littler vs Michael van Gerwen: Rivalry reaches peak in World Darts Championship last | Darts Information

Twelve matches, six victories every. Luke Littler versus Michael van Gerwen has turn out to be a field workplace match over the previous 12 months and the rivalry will attain its crescendo on Friday within the World Championship last.

Littler’s meteoric rise to the 2024 World Darts Championship, the place he completed second to Luke Humphries, was underpinned by last titles within the Premier League, World Collection of Darts Finals and Grand Slam of Darts.

Van Gerwen, in the meantime, has not gained a televised event in 2024, which is the primary time he has not gained in a calendar 12 months since 2011.

Friday’s last is by far an important assembly between the 2 males, with Van Gerwen aiming for a fourth world title and Littler a primary.

So how did we get right here?

Littler locations a marker however MVG responds

Two weeks after final 12 months’s World Darts Championship, Littler hit a nine-darter in his quarter-final victory over Nathan Aspinall on the Bahrain Darts Masters and met Van Gerwen within the last on 19 January.

It was the primary of many encounters between two of darts’ most proficient gamers and Littler went 8-5 to win his first PDC senior title on his World Collection debut.

Van Gerwen vowed to be higher the following time the 2 males met; that he would “have” Littler. That is precisely what he did every week later at dwelling on the Dutch Darts Masters.

An exhilarating last noticed each gamers go head-to-head and nothing separated them till the final match when Van Gerwen punished a missed 170 from Littler to win 8-6.

“Luke put a lot strain on me,” mentioned Van Gerwen, who gained his sixteenth World Collection of Darts crown.

“Luke has a really brilliant future forward of him. Everyone knows that, however you all the time need to cease him, and it’s important to do the fitting issues towards him, and that is what I did tonight.

“His scoring energy is immense, so it’s important to hold preventing, however I am glad I used to be capable of do it.”

Huge clashes within the Premier League

The Premier League Darts format means the world’s eight greatest gamers meet each Thursday for 17 weeks, so naturally we might see lots of Van Gerwen versus Littler.

On the second evening in early February, Littler missed two darts within the Berlin last and Van Gerwen punished him to win 6-5 and let loose an enormous roar when he gained, emphasizing how a lot it meant for the Dutchman to beat {the teenager}.

Two weeks later in Newcastle, Van Gerwen once more snatched victory from Littler in a decisive stage, this time within the semi-final, and he gained the evening.

Nevertheless, the following three matches went Littler’s manner. On the seventh evening in Nottingham, Littler averaged a sensational 114 with an excellent 6-2 quarter-final victory over Van Gerwen. This was the match the place Van Gerwen “completed” Littler’s nine-dart try.

Littler took full benefit of a subpar Van Gerwen with two 6-3 victories over the approaching weeks, however the Dutchman took the eleventh evening last with a 6-3 victory of his personal.

The final Premier League encounter was gained by Van Gerwen 6-1, however Littler finally gained all of it as MVG misplaced within the semi-final to Humphries.

Van Gerwen stuns Littler at World Matchplay

Van Gerwen and Littler confronted off within the first spherical of the World Matchplay and it was, surprisingly, a one-sided combat.

The three-time world champion knocked out Littler 6-1 however misplaced to Humphries within the last.

Littler obtained the higher of Van Gerwen within the semi-finals of the World Collection of Darts and on the European Tour, so he has the perfect current type.

Nevertheless, in relation to larger moments, Van Gerwen has a bonus and that might be essential on Friday.

What do Van Gerwen and Littler consider one another?

Michael van Gerwen:

“I feel he is nice. What he is executed for the game is nice. Truthful play to him.

“TV and social media are large, which helps. It is good for darts on the whole. It would not hassle me.”

Luc Littler:

“As I obtained older, I watched darts increasingly. The primary [Van Gerwen match] I keep in mind it was within the 2017 last the place he beat Gary. [Anderson].

“He’s been there for years and years and I’m certain he gained’t change for anybody.”

What’s subsequent?

Luke Littler is one win away from creating historical past after reaching his second consecutive world championship last. The 17-year-old from Warrington will face Michael van Gerwen, who’s aiming for his fourth world title after bulldozing his approach to the ultimate. Watch the drama unfold from 7:30 p.m. this Friday Sky Sports activities Darts.

Watch Premier League Darts on Sky Sports activities

Watch all of the motion from Premier League on Aerial sports activities with Luke Littler goals to defend his title. The brand new Premier League season kicks off in Belfast on Thursday February 6, as darts’ greatest social gathering returns to an unchanged line-up of 17 venues throughout the UK and Europe.

Who will win the Darts Premier League? Watch all of the motion on Sky Sports activities. Stream darts and many other top sports with NOW.