The start of the Premier League has brought six weeks of unrivalled drama and some incredible talking points.
Josh Rock became the first player to hit a nine-darter in the competition this year, doing so spectacularly on night three in Belfast.
The Northern Irishman’s remarkable leg against Gian van Veen has been his biggest highlight, with the 24-year-old failing to win a single match so far.
Rock has struggled on debut, whereas Jonny Clayton has dominated. The Ferret has surged eight points clear at the top of the table after securing his second nightly win in Nottingham last week.
Many would have expected Luke Littler to be in his position, but the world champion has moved up to second after taking seven points from the previous two nights.
Jon Part thought Luke Littler would run away with the Premier League
Littler remains the clear favourite to win the Premier League and rightly so, given his sensational talent.
The 19-year-old has averaged well over 100 in his last four outings in the competition, including 101.31 in last week’s semi-final defeat to Luke Humphries.
But even though he’s reaching ridiculous levels, others are matching or even exceeding his performances, with Clayton winning two of his last three meetings against the Nuke.
CLAYTON BEATS LITTLER AGAIN!
— PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) February 26, 2026
The Ferret wins his fourth-straight round one clash in the Premier League this year 🙌
Jonny Clayton downs Luke Littler for the second week running with a strong 6-3 victory 🐿️
📺 https://t.co/LnNAPX0oQz#PLDarts | QF1 pic.twitter.com/MsKXbBEi0q
Indeed, the Welshman will take some dethroning from the top if he maintains his current performances, and that means Jon Part will be proven wrong with his prediction.
The darting icon and commentator felt Littler would finish well clear at the top when making his pre-tournament predictions.
“I see Luke Littler finishing top of the table with an even bigger point margin between him and second than the 11 he outdistanced Luke Humphries by last year, and I see him regaining the title,” Part wrote on Sky Sports.
Clayton has almost guaranteed a top-four place
While Littler chases down first position, Clayton is aiming for two points a week to guarantee his place at London’s 02 Arena for Finals Night.
Statistically, though, the 51-year-old is already closing in on a place in the top four after just six weeks.
He managed to do that in 2023 with a haul of 24 points, while that total was also enough for Gerwyn Price last year and Joe Cullen in 2022, so considering he’s already got 19, he’s in an extremely healthy position.
Clayton can strengthen his grip on the top four in his quarter-final showdown against Humphries in Dublin.
