Premier League Darts 2026: Clayton's Gout Victory in Nottingham and Humphries' Redemption Against Littler
Sometimes this sport writes stories you just couldn't make up. The Premier League Darts 2026 rolled into Nottingham for night six, and the 10,000 fans packed into the Motorpoint Arena witnessed pure tungsten madness. While one man could barely walk in a straight line, he was celebrating the biggest triumph of the night. And the reigning world champion had to first lose to his great rival before finally breaking a long-standing curse.
The Limping Legend: Jonny Clayton's Gout Spectacular
Imagine having to compete at the highest level against the best dart players in the world, but every step you take to the stage feels like you're walking over hot coals. That was the reality for Jonny Clayton this Thursday night. The Welshman, nicknamed "The Ferret," was suffering from an acute gout attack in his ankle. As he limped across the stage, everyone thought his night was done. But Clayton proved once again his iron mentality.
"I had no expectations at all for tonight," Clayton freely admitted after his triumph. "I'm suffering from gout, in my ankles, and tonight it was a bit tricky with the way I was walking. My arm was okay, by the looks of it, and that's the only thing that matters." And what an arm it was! Despite the pain, which got worse the longer he sat on the chair with his foot rested, the 51-year-old reeled off one performance after another.
In the quarter-finals, he first dismantled Dutchman Michael van Gerwen 6-3. In the semi-finals, another big gun followed with another 6-3, Stephen Bunting. And then, in the final, he took on a walking wall named Luke Humphries and swept him aside 6-1. With an impressive double percentage of 67%, he left the world number two with no chance – and all of this while in agonising pain.
With this victory, Clayton not only became the first player in Premier League Darts 2026 to secure a second nightly win (following his triumph in Glasgow) but also extended his lead at the top of the table to an incredible eight points.
Humphries Breaks the Littler Hoodoo – Then Falls to Clayton
While Clayton battled through the pain, Luke Humphries had an emotional rollercoaster of a night. "Cool Hand Luke" hadn't won a competitive match against his young superstar rival Luke Littler for almost a year – since May 2025, to be precise. Five straight defeats against the teenager were on the record. That was until this semi-final clash in Nottingham.
In a high-quality match where Humphries averaged over 108 at one stage, he fought his way through against a defiant Littler. When he led 5-2 and had match darts in hand, the old pattern threatened to return. Littler fought back to 5-4, the arena was rocking. But Humphries remained ice-cool. With a breathtaking 128 checkout, he sealed the deal in the deciding leg and punched the air towards the crowd – relief written all over his face.
"It's brilliant, especially here in Nottingham," beamed Humphries after the 6-5 win. "When the crowd got so loud and he was coming back, I just tried to focus on myself. Conceding that 130 checkout from him was tough, but I'm proud of how I came back and hit that 128 finish." The joy, however, was short-lived. In the final against the limping but fearlessly playing Clayton, things went awry. With only 13% of his doubles converted, Humphries had no chance and had to accept a 6-1 defeat. His first final appearance of the season ended in a lesson.
The 'Nuke' Detonates, But Doesn't Explode
Luke Littler arrived in Nottingham as the freshly crowned UK Open champion and winner of the previous week in Cardiff. The 19-year-old world number one wanted to follow up and carry his Premier League Darts 2025 momentum forward. In the quarter-finals, he engaged in a monumental duel with Gerwyn Price. Both players peppered the board with 180s; Price fought back with checkouts of 151 and 152, but Littler kept his head in a nerve-shredding deciding leg to win 6-5. The fact that he wasn't put off by isolated whistles from the crowd, even responding with a celebratory gesture, showed his mental maturity.
In the semi-final against Humphries, his run came to an end. Despite a comeback attempt, he had to concede defeat to his compatriot. The chance for back-to-back nightly wins was gone. He now sits second in the table with 11 points, but the gap to Clayton is already eight points.
The Table and a Look Ahead
While the top of the table is starting to take shape, things are getting seriously bleak at the other end. Josh Rock, the exceptional Northern Irish talent making his Premier League debut this season, is still waiting for his first point. Against Stephen Bunting, he suffered a 6-1 defeat, his sixth loss in six games – a nightmare start nobody expected.
The current top 4 in the Premier League Darts 2026 table after six of 16 nights looks like this:
- 1. Jonny Clayton – 19 points
- 2. Luke Littler – 11 points
- 3. Gerwyn Price – 9 points
- 4. Gian van Veen – 9 points
The cart is well and truly stuck in the mud. But we all know the saying: In the Premier League Darts, nothing is impossible. Last year, as we know, Stephen Bunting waited until night nine to finally get a win. So, keep your chin up, Josh!
The roadshow continues in a week's time, on March 19th, at the 3Arena in Dublin. There, Gian van Veen takes on Michael van Gerwen and Stephen Bunting faces Luke Littler, among other ties. And then, on March 26th, the tour finally stops at the Uber Arena in Berlin! I can't wait to turn the German capital into a madhouse.
Until then: Keep on Darts!