Archive May 1, 2025

With a 6-4 victory over Michael van Gerwen in Birmingham, Luke Littler, a teen, made history by becoming the first player to win five games in a Premier League season.

The 18-year-old, who won the youngest world darts championship after winning in January, will also be competing in the O2 Arena’s season-ending play-offs on May 29.

He had already made it to the final four weeks, but he had only managed four nights in the opening eight.

No player has won more than four nights since the 16-week league phase was introduced in 2022, with the exception of Littler, Luke Humphries, and Van Gerwen (2024), Jonny Clayton (2022), Gerwyn Price and Michael Smith (2023), and Gerwyn Price and Van Gerwen (2024).

Littler stated at the beginning of the evening that he needed a break before the final if he wanted to finish top of the league in order to reach the play-offs, and that he now has that goal in mind.

He improved as the evening progressed but needed victories in the final against Stephen Bunting and Nathan Aspinall in the last-second shootout.

Seven-time Premier League champion Van Gerwen broke in leg two after two stunning darts at bullseye, but the world number two missed two darts at tops in the opening leg.

However, Littler and Van Gerwen, who were in their second final of the year, regained the lead in leg six before breaking again in leg 10 to claim the victory and avoid a final-leg decider.

He was six from 13 at the checkouts, averaging 102.5 to Van Gerwen’s 94.31.

“I’m very happy,” he declared. It was anticipated that I would win the fifth nightly prize at some point, but it has only been a few weeks since I did so on a Thursday, Littler told Sky Sports.

“I’m nine points clear, so I’m very happy and confident that I’ll stay at number one.”

Humphries, the world’s number one, failed to win a night in the first two weeks, despite having won two of the previous four.

Since then, he has lost in the final four times, but he has also lost in the final five times, most recently 6-5 to Gerwyn Price.

Although it was a scrappy affair at times, Humphries, the 2024 world champion and Premier League runner-up, still managed to score 107.46 on the first nine legs.

He did, however, struggle on the checkouts, allowing only five of his fifteen attempts to come out, and Humphries lost to Price once more after being defeated by the Welshman in the Liverpool final last week.

After falling to Littler in the quarter-finals 6-5, Bunting is still firmly rooted at the bottom of the table.

Littler averaged in the mid-’80s as he used some new equipment, leading the Liverpudlian 4-2.

However, the teenager made improvements as the game progressed and broke through leg eight before capturing the victory in the final shootout.

Final

Michael van Gerwen 6-4 Luke Littler

Semi-finals

Nathan Aspinall 6-5 Luke Littler

Michael van Gerwen 3:3 Michael Price

Quarter-finals

Stephen Bunting 6-5 Luke Littler

Chris Dobey 6-3 Nathan Aspinall

Gerwyn Price 5-6 Luke Humphries

Premier League Darts is played in 16 league starts, with quarter-finals, semi-finals, and finals on each night.

In the quarter-finals in weeks one through seven and nine through fifteen, with the eight and sixteen fixtures being eliminated from the table, each of the eight players is guaranteed to face the other seven. On the final league-stage night, Sheffield will play host to fourth-and-fifth place teams, with potential playoff spots also in the cards.

Players are awarded two points for each quarter-final victory, five for each semi-final victory, and five for each night’s victory.

In a best-of-19-leg competition, the top four players will advance to the play-off night on May 23 at London’s O2 Arena, with first facing first and second facing third. The best leg of the 21 legs is the final.

Leeds, 8 May, on Thursday, May 8.

Harry Maguire is definitely a best player in the Europa League, in my opinion.

After the Manchester United defender’s dramatic 121st-minute winner against Lyon in the quarter-finals, Maguire created magic to help his team triumph 3-0 at Athletic Club in the first leg of their semi-final match.

Even Ronaldinho was compared to Maguire’s dribbling abilities and cross, which saw Casemiro lead the Premier League team in front.

After United made a significant step toward reaching the Europa League final, which will take place at the same San Mames stadium in Bilbao, the 32-year-old was referred to as “Harrydinho” on social media.

When Maguire went all-Ronaldinho to silence the home fans, the game was 29 minutes old.

United’s number five turned one way, stopped in front of him, and then turned the other way, before turning around again, passing his rival and receiving the cross.

Casemiro nods into the net after Manuel Ugarte flicked it on.

What a winger! Bruno Fernandes, the captain of Maguire’s side, increased United’s lead from the penalty spot before adding a third before half-time to give his side a respectable first-leg lead, “I don’t think he even knew he had that in his locker.

“Harry is now much more self-assured. His playing position is strengthening, and we hope he keeps getting better.

Former United defender Phil Jones said, “I didn’t know he had it in him,” in a statement released on 5 Live. Fair play, great ball in, and I never saw it during training, to be honest.

Former United captain Maguire’s former manager Ruben Amorim also received praise.

Harry has had difficult times in his life, according to the Portuguese. We must enjoy everything he does because it benefits the team.

What about Maguire’s role in that trickery, exactly?

When Alejandro Garna passed me the ball, it was nice to do some dribbling and put in a great cross, he said, “I found myself attacking the back post.”

Was this the night it all came together for Ruben Amorim at Manchester United?

The former Sporting boss has endured an uneasy start to life at Old Trafford since his appointment, particularly domestically where he has overseen just six wins in 23 Premier League games.

But European football is looking like being his and United’s salvation this season and Thursday’s 3-0 win at Athletic Bilbao in their Europa League semi-final first leg ensures they have one foot firmly planted in the final.

Granted, the Spanish hosts played much of the game with 10 men but this was nevertheless an impressive display against a side that boasts the best defensive record in La Liga.

“That was the best that I have seen Manchester United play under Ruben Amorim,” former Leeds, Tottenham and Blackburn goalkeeper Paul Robinson said on BBC Radio 5 live.

“They were excellent – granted they were playing against 10 men, but they still had to do a job.”

Former Manchester United midfielder Robbie Savage said on TNT Sports: “People will look at the result and say Athletic Bilbao were down to 10 men but this has been a magnificent performance.

“They concede hardly any goals, one of the best [defences] in Europe but to come here and score three goals, magnificent Manchester United performance.”

There have been plenty of poor performances and disappointing losses for United under Amorim but there has also been the odd eye-catching result.

They won 2-1 at rivals Manchester City in December, drew 2-2 with Liverpool and knocked Arsenal out of the FA Cup in January and thrashed Real Sociedad 4-1 in Europe.

Few would have predicted such a win for United at San Mames Stadium – which will host the Europa League final on 21 May.

Indeed, initially it did not look likely with some of the visiting players appearing nervous.

Manuel Ugarte was often caught in possession in the opening 15 minutes, while a static defence was almost embarrassed when Inaki Williams rose highest to glance a header over.

Patrick Dorgu was caught way up the pitch to allow Inaki Williams space to attack and deliver a cross for Alex Berenguer, whose shot was blocked on the line by Victor Lindelof.

The loud atmosphere created by the home fans undoubtedly contributed to those nervous displays from United’s younger players but their senior players stepped up to ultimately settle them.

Brazil midfielder Casemiro rolled back the years with a display reminiscent of his Real Madrid days, sitting deep to break up attacks, offering composure and creativity on the ball while also providing an aerial threat.

Harry Maguire, criticised previously for being past his best, scored the late winner against Lyon in the quarter-finals, and popped up on the right wing this time to deliver the cross that led to Casemiro’s the opener.

Then there was captain Bruno Fernandes, who was coolness personified to shut out the noise of the stadium and convert the penalty that put United in control, before dinking home a second when played through on goal.

Amorim was full of praise for his senior players for providing the calming influence.

He told TNT Sports: “You can feel especially in the beginning player like Ugarte with a lot of experience was a bit nervous, also Patrick Dorgu.

Comfortable first-half displays in Europe for Manchester United don’t come around often.

This was the first time they have scored three first-half goals in a major European game since November 2020 against Istanbul Basaksehir, and also the first time away from home since September 2017 against CSKA Moscow. Both of those were in the Champions League.

For Bilbao to go to Old Trafford next week and score at least four goals seems a tall task and instead an all-English Europa League final between United and Tottenham is looking very like, after Spurs beat Bodo/Glimt 3-1 in their semi-final first leg.

Another performance like this in the second leg and that will surely be enough to secure United’s return to the San Mames in three weeks.

“We want our fans to travel twice to Bilbao,” Fernandes told TNT Sports.

“The result for us was unbelievable. We should push a bit more in that second half, but we controlled the game and that is good.”

Amorim, however, is looking no further than the next game.

“Of course we are have an advantage,” he said. “We have our fans, but again this could change.

With Thursday’s semi-final first-leg victories, Manchester United and Tottenham both made significant progress toward reaching the Europa League final.

Tottenham defeated Bodo/Glimt 3-1 in London while United defeated Athletic Bilbao 3-0, who incidentally hosted the final on May 21.

With a 91% chance for Spurs, United has a 97% chance of making it to the final, which is equal to an 88% chance for both teams to make it there.

Just a sixth all-English final in a major European competition, with Spurs playing in half of the matches.

Only 12% of the time in Opta’s data indicates that it won’t be an all-English final.

United won 3-0 over Athletic, who sit fourth in La Liga, and they will hope to get over the line with home advantage next week.

Spurs may feel that their work isn’t being quite as good.

Regardless of where they finish on the domestic scene, the Europa League winners advance to the Champions League the following year.

A United vs. Spurs final would also guarantee their return to the top of European football’s mega-riches.

That rule is useful for both Spurs, who are 16th, and United, who are 14th, both more than 20 points adrift of fifth place.

No one of them will compete in any European competition after the Europa League championship.

The top five teams would be guaranteed a Champions League spot through the league, which would not have any impact on any other English teams.

No nation’s teams have ever won the Champions League, Europa League, or Conference League (even though the latter is only in its fourth year) in the same season.

However, with teams in all the semis in the country this term, it might still happen to England.

Arsenal, who lost 1-0 to Paris St-Germain in the Champions League first leg on Tuesday, has the smallest chance (12.1% of the vote favor Opta).

Two weeks later, Spurs drew 1-1 at White Hart Lane after winning the first leg 2-1 at Molineux, with Martin Chivers scoring twice.

The next English final, which took place in 2007-08 with Manchester United beating Chelsea on penalties in Moscow, would take 36 years.

Before the shootout, John Terry’s miss-and-goal and Cristiano Ronaldo’s goal were best remembered for.

In 2018-19, there were two all-English finals.

Mohamed Salah and Divock Origi scored goals as Liverpool defeated Tottenham 2-0 in the Champions League match in Madrid.

And Chelsea defeated Arsenal 4-1 in Baku to win the Europa League, scoring Eden Hazard twice in his final appearance for the club.