Reigning Premier League champion Luke Littler says rock-bottom Stephen Bunting needs to relax on the stage and the wins will eventually come.
An impressive evening for Littler in Newcastle started with a dominant quarter-final victory over Bunting, where he earned a 6-0 win in only 10 minutes, averaging just under 110, hitting five 180s and 50 per cent on the doubles.
Bunting’s 102.15 was the highest-ever Premier League match average posted by a player failing to win a leg and the St Helens thrower remains bottom of the standings without a win so far.
He has more 100+ averages than Gerwyn Price, Nathan Aspinall and Chris Dobey in this year’s Premier League, while all of his opponent’s have shown up and delivered with a match average of 103.40.
Littler, who recorded a fourth nightly win and has now hit a century of 180s during the tournament, hopes Bunting can get that much-needed victory under his belt.
“I think last week he said he’s putting too much pressure on himself, without a win in eight weeks,” Littler said.
“If I were Stephen you’ve just got to relax. Saying ‘come on win that first game’. I’m sure once he gets that first win and gets that winning feeling he’ll go on, I think he could win a night.”
Bunting took to social media to express his feelings after losing to Dobey in Cardiff for his seventh straight defeat of the Premier League season, saying on X: “Absolutely gutted. So sorry to all who support me. Practised so well tonight and unfortunately it just didn’t happen on the stage. I’ll keep giving it my all guys and keep believing.
“I’m making myself so nervous because I care and want to perform to my best instead of just relaxing and letting it happen. See you all next week. I’ll work hard and make sure I’ll improve.”
Bunting, who won the 2024 Masters before reaching the semi-finals of the PDC World Darts Championship, is a fans’ favourite with his entrance to David Guetta and Sia’s ‘Titanium’.
World No 1 Luke Humphries offered some advice as he addressed Bunting’s struggles on the oche.
“We’re really close friends, so when things aren’t going right he’s going to come for me for a bit of advice,” Humphries told talkSPORT.
“I said to him I don’t know if the walk-on song is affecting him a little bit at the start. Nathan had this and told me the buzz is so high that for the first couple of legs it’s hard to come down from.
“When you’ve got that massive buzz, you’ve got the first two legs where you are waiting to come down a little bit.
“He’s not had a great record winning the first couple of legs and I said to him when you do your walk on, do it but give yourself 15 or 20 seconds at the table before you throw your practice darts and allow yourself to come down from that adrenaline.
“It’s a very daunting task sitting bottom of the league. It’s a horrible feeling.”
Littler: I am the best in the world
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Relive the full match from Littler’s emphatic victory over Luke Humphries in Newcastle
Another dominant display leaves Littler eight points clear at the top of the table, having won 16 matches in total.
The teenager admits he has created a “fear factor” among his rivals, saying: “Performances, I think that does go to show how everyone says I am the best in the world at the minute.
“But you know me, I’ll never really say I am the best in the world but I’m performing better than these guys, so maybe I should be saying I’m the best in the world, but we’ll just see how it goes.”
Littler beat Bunting, Rob Cross and then crushed world No 1 Humphries 6-1 in the Newcastle final.
The Warrington wonderkid said: “I’m very happy with my performances tonight, obviously it drifted off a bit towards the end, feeling a bit tired. It’s just good to get over that winning line in the final.
“My normal throw, or what I was throwing with tonight, I just felt tired so changed it up a bit. After the match Luke said he was tired, but I just had to stick in there.
“I’m feeling well. Tonight I was feeling tired when I would’ve been last week in the final. It’s all about making sure in yourself you’re right and get up on stage to play these games.”
Where does the Premier League head next?
The Premier League continues at the Uber Arena, Berlin on Thursday, April 3 as Michael van Gerwen and Gerwyn Price clash in a titanic encounter, while Luke Littler takes on Chris Dobey.
Wayne Mardle is looking forward to heading to Germany, saying: “It’s going to be mad and with the phenom turning up. Every night just seems incredible, and we just expect nine-darters. That’s what it’s coming to. We just expect one. Right, we’ve been from Belfast to Brighton. It is Berlin next week!”
Watch Night Nine of Premier League Darts, in Berlin, live on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports+ from 6pm – stream with NOW.
