Luke Littler has spent most of this Premier League season setting the pace, so it feels fitting that Finals Night at The O2 is being framed around one question more than any other.
Who can stop him when the pressure is at its highest?
That has been the sub-plot building all month, and Sheffield only sharpened it. Humphries beat Michael van Gerwen and then demolished Littler 6-1 in the semi-finals on Premier League Night 16 before losing the final to Stephen Bunting, but those results still mattered because they lifted the defending champion above Gerwyn Price in the final table and away from a semi-final against the world champion. That leaves Littler facing Price on Thursday night, while Jonny Clayton takes on Humphries in the other semi-final.
For darts fans, that is just about the ideal mix. There is the obvious Littler factor, the steady threat of Clayton, the late surge from Humphries, and the sense that Price has arrived at this stage with the game to spoil everybody else’s script.
Littler is still the headline act
Littler topped the league phase again and did it in the style fans have come to expect from him. The PDC reported that he claimed six nightly wins during the 2026 campaign, underlining just how often he turned weekly appearances into statements. Even when others had their moments, the season kept bending back towards him.
What has stood out is not just the scoring power. Littler has repeatedly found a way to win tight matches and then pile pressure onto the table. After his Leeds victory earlier this month, he said: “I’ve just got to keep top spot now.” That was the mindset of a player who knew exactly what he was building towards.
If there is one doubt for his backers, it is that Sheffield showed he is not untouchable. Humphries gave him a proper beating there, and Price is capable of bringing that same kind of scoring weight in a shorter burst. Littler is still favourite, but this does not feel like a procession.
Why Humphries and Clayton look like the real danger men
Humphries’ regular season looked patchy for stretches, especially by his standards, but the finish mattered. Beating Van Gerwen and then hammering Littler in Sheffield gave him real momentum at the perfect time, and it also set up a semi-final against Clayton rather than a first-last meeting with Littler.
Clayton, meanwhile, has probably been the most quietly impressive player in the field. He has not carried the same noise as Littler or Humphries, but his consistency has kept him in the conversation all season. Earlier in the campaign, Clayton said: “I’ve got a bit of experience in the Premier League. This is my favourite tournament, and I know what you’ve got to do to get to Finals Night.” That reads like a fair summary of his route back to The O2.
There is also a strong case that Clayton is the player fans are still underrating. He has handled the weekly grind better than most and has looked comfortable in the longer story of the season.
Price has the game to make this awkward
Price may not be the headline pick, but he is exactly the type of opponent who can turn Finals Night messy for a favourite. The Welshman has already shown this year that he can live with the elite when the standard rises. Earlier in the Premier League season he said he was playing “some of the best darts of my career”, before adding: “I need to be even better.”
That line still feels relevant now. If Price pins his chances against Littler, this semi-final could become the real tone-setter of the night.
That is why this Finals Night feels stronger than a routine top-four wrap-up. Littler has earned the spotlight, but Humphries has timed his run, Clayton has built a case the hard way, and Price brings enough edge to make the draw dangerous. For PDC fans, that is a proper finish to the league campaign rather than a coronation.
