Premier League Darts 2026: Clayton's Gout Victory in Nottingham and Humphries' Redemption against Littler
Sometimes this sport writes stories you couldn't make up. The Premier League Darts 2026 made a stop in Nottingham on the sixth night, and what the 10,000 spectators in the sold-out Motorpoint Arena experienced was pure tungsten madness. While one could barely walk straight, he celebrated the biggest triumph of the evening. And the reigning world champion had to first lose to his great rival before he could finally break a long-awaited curse.
The Limping Hero: Jonny Clayton's Gout Spectacle
Imagine having to compete at the highest level against the best dart players in the world, but every step to the stage feels like walking on hot coals. That was exactly the reality for Jonny Clayton on this Thursday evening. 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 over. But Clayton once again proved his iron mentality.
"I had no expectations at all for tonight," Clayton freely admitted after his triumph. "I suffer from gout, in my ankles, and tonight it was a bit difficult with the way I was walking. My arm was okay, as it seemed, and that's the only thing that counts." And what an arm it was! Despite the pain, which got worse the longer he sat on the chair and kept his foot still, the 51-year-old churned out one programme after another.
In the quarter-finals, he first disenchanted the Dutchman Michael van Gerwen with a 6:3. In the semi-finals, the next big challenge followed with another 6:3 against Stephen Bunting. And then, in the final, he stepped it up against a walking wall named Luke Humphries and literally swept him off the stage with a 6:1. With an impressive double-hit rate of 67 percent, he gave the world number two no chance – and all of this while in agonising pain.
With this victory, Clayton not only crowned himself as the first player in the Premier League Darts 2026 to secure a second nightly win (after his triumph in Glasgow), but also extended his lead at the top of the table to an incredible eight points.
Humphries Breaks the Spell against Littler – Then Despairs against Clayton
While Clayton shrugged off the pain, Luke Humphries experienced an emotional rollercoaster. "Cool Hand Luke" had not won a competitive match against his young super-talent Luke Littler for almost a year – more precisely, since May 2025. Five consecutive defeats against the teenager were on the record. Until this semi-final encounter in Nottingham.
In a high-class match, in which Humphries at times played a 108 average, he fought his way through against a determined Littler. When he led 5:2 and already had match darts in hand, the old pattern threatened to catch up with him. Littler fought back to 5:4, the arena was boiling. But Humphries remained ice-cold. With a breathtaking 128 checkout, he sealed the deal in the decisive leg and thrust his fist towards the stands – relief written all over his face.
"It's great, especially here in Nottingham," beamed Humphries after the 6-5 win. "When the crowd was so loud and he was coming back, I just tried to focus on myself. Taking 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 wrong. With only 13 percent of doubles converted, Humphries had no chance and had to admit defeat 1-6. His first final appearance of the season ended with a lesson.
The 'Nuke' Ignites, But Doesn't Explode
Luke Littler came to Nottingham as the newly crowned UK Open winner and winner of the previous week in Cardiff. The 19-year-old world number one wanted to follow up and take his first Premier League Darts 2025 momentum with him. In the quarter-finals, he engaged in a monumental duel with Gerwyn Price. Both players peppered the board with 180s, Price equalised in between with checkouts of 151 and 152, but Littler kept the upper hand in a nerve-wracking decider and won 6-5. The fact that he was not put off by isolated whistles from the audience, but even responded with a gesture of celebration, showed his mental maturity.
In the semi-final against Humphries, the journey ended. Despite a comeback, he had to concede defeat to his compatriot. The chance for a second consecutive win was gone. In the table, he now ranks second with 11 points, but the gap to Clayton is already eight points.
The Table and Looking Ahead
While the top is slowly taking shape, it's getting really bitter at the other end of the table. 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 1-6 defeat, his sixth loss in six games – a false start that no one had expected.
The current top 4 of the Premier League Darts 2026 table after six of 16 matchdays 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 stuck deep in the mud. But we all know the saying: In the Premier League Darts, nothing is impossible. Last year, as we know, Stephen Bunting needed until the ninth matchday to finally win a match. So, chin up, Josh!
The journey continues in a week, on March 19, at the 3Arena in Dublin. There, among others, Gian van Veen will face Michael van Gerwen and Stephen Bunting will face Luke Littler. And then, on March 26, the tour finally stops at the Uber Arena in Berlin! I can hardly wait to turn the German capital into a madhouse.
Until then: Keep on Darts!