Aspinall Wins In Aberdeen As Littler Seals Top Spot
ByFrank Keogh
BBC Sport senior reporter
15 May 2025
113 Comments
Updated 16 May 2025
Nathan Aspinall took the Premier League nightly win in Aberdeen to close on a play-off location while Luke Littler sealed top area.
Aspinall is on the verge of qualifying after beating Chris Dobey 6-1 in the last on a significant evening which saw Gerwyn Price struck a nine-darter.
Dobey claimed a decider to win his semi-final 6-5 against world champ Littler, who earlier won a classic versus world top Luke Humphries that included 14 180s.
Despite balancing 110.01, Humphries could not stop Littler, who averaged 115.96 to guarantee he would complete top of the league stage.
Defending champ Littler had actually currently gotten approved for the four-man play-offs in London on 29 May along with Humphries and Price.
Price hit his second nine-darter of the but ended a 6-4 quarter-final loser to Stephen Bunting.
Aspinall moved above seven-time champ Michael van Gerwen into 4th area with a 6-3 victory over the Dutchman before dispatching Bunting 6-1 and going 4 points clear after his final victory.
If Van Gerwen does not declare the night win in Sheffield next week, Aspinall - who completed fifth in 2023 and 2024 - will claim the last play-off area.
"All I have actually said to my household, I don't want to come 5th once again. I have actually put one foot in the finals. I play Michael [van Gerwen] again next week and the pressure is on him," said the English gamer.
"It's a do or die game. I save myself 3 hours of torment if I can beat him at 8pm, I'm going to the O2 which is a dream of mine. It's in my hands."
Relive Aspinall's win on dramatic night in Aberdeen
Premier League Darts schedule, results, cash prize
29 May 2025
Littler beats Humphries in traditional
Littler versus Humphries measured up to its billing as the set provided a spectacular quarter-final.
Humphries hit nine optimums to his challenger's 5, but he might not stop Littler's charge.
In a match that finished in under 12 minutes, there were an overall of 40 100-plus visits - 21 from Littler and 19 for Humphries.
Humphries began by hitting 6 ideal darts, while Littler needed simply 10 to win the third leg.
"Are you joke me? This is an absolute joke," said Sky Sports pundit Wayne Mardle in commentary.
"If this is your very first time watching a darts match, this is not the standard."
Price strikes nine-darter but loses
For the second time in the Premier League this season, Price struck a nine-darter and lost.
He also produced a perfect leg when beaten by Littler in Manchester in April.
The 2021 world champ has the consolation of strolling off with another set of 18 carat gold darts from sponsors BetMGM, worth an estimated ₤ 30,000.
There have now been 5 nine-darters in this year's event. No previous edition of the competitors has actually had more than 2.
Van Gerwen remains without a night win in 2025 and in serious danger of missing out on the play-offs for just the 2nd time.
His only lack from the finals considering that his launching season in 2013 was available in 2020 when he ended up sixth in the table.
While he matched Aspinall with a 97 average and 42% checkout, the Englishman got to the double twice as sometimes, which proved crucial.
Rob Cross can not make the play-offs after a 6-2 loss to Dobey, who averaged 107 however is also out of contention after his last defeat.
Premier League Darts Night 15 results
Final
Nathan Aspinall 6-1 Chris Dobey
Semi-finals
Nathan Aspinall 6-1 Stephen Bunting
Chris Dobey 6-5 Luke Littler
Quarter-finals
Michael van Gerwen 3-6 Nathan Aspinall
Gerwyn Price 4-6 Stephen Bunting
Chris Dobey 6-2 Rob Cross
Luke Littler 6-3 Luke Humphries
Premier League Darts table
Premier League Darts format and points system
Premier League Darts is played throughout 16 weeks in the league phase with quarter-finals, semi-finals and a last each night.
Each of the 8 gamers is guaranteed to deal with the other 7 in the quarter-finals in weeks one to 7 and 9-15, with week eight and week 16 components done off the table. It implies we will get fourth v fifth in Sheffield on the last league-stage night, with the play-off areas possibly on the line.
Players earn 2 points per quarter-final win, an extra point if they win their semi-final, and five for winning the night.
The top 4 players after the group phase progress to the play-off night at London's O2 Arena on 23 May, with first facing 4th and second against 3rd in best-of-19-leg matches. The final, which is the very best of 21 legs, follows.
If gamers are level on points after the 16 weeks then locations are decided by nights won and then matches won.
Premier League Darts night 16 order of play
Thursday, 22 May - Sheffield
Luke Littler v Stephen Bunting
Nathan Aspinall v Michael van Gerwen
Luke Humphries v Rob Cross
Gerwyn Price v Chris Dobey
Darts