Luke Littler ‘flaw’ Was Spotted By Michael Van Gerwen That Could Prove Costly For Teen
Michael van Gerwen will take on Luke Littler in the final of the 2025 PDC World Darts Championship, and could look to take advantage of a weakness he previously spotted in the teenager’s game
Michael van Gerwen faces Luke Littler in the World Darts Championship final this eveningMichael van Gerwen has pinpointed “one little” weakness in Luke Littler’s game that he might exploit during their World Darts Championship final showdown at Alexandra Palace.
MVG will go head-to-head with Littler for the 13th time in 12 months as they vie for the prestigious Sid Waddell trophy tonight (January 3). Despite being only 17, Littler is heading into the bout as a slight favourite after besting Van Gerwen in their last two match-ups.
Even so, 35-year-old Van Gerwen is eyeing an upset, particularly after noticing a tiny kink in Littler’s throwing method. “He has got one little thing in his throw on the end that I don’t really fancy,” Van Gerwen observed during the previous year’s championship run.
‘Mighty Mike’ also claimed he was better than Littler when he was his age, but conceded that the Englishman was a little more fearless than him. “I think if you look like talent-wise then I think I was slightly better, but he doesn’t care whoever he plays, and that’s why I admire him,” he said.
“He’s a big talent. Me and Vincent [Van der Voort] spoke about him… He can win a lot of tournaments in the future of darts 100 per cent.”
Last year’s tournament saw Littler outshine MVG by storming into the final where he narrowly lost to world no. 1 Luke Humphries. Meanwhile, Van Gerwen was halted in the quarter-finals by Scott Williams, who later fell to the dominance of Humphries in the semi-finals.
Van Gerwen hasn’t been at his invincible best this year, but he’s more than capable of putting young Littler under some serious pressure. If he triumphs tonight, MVG will secure his fourth world title, pushing him two ahead of fellow multi-time champions Gary Anderson, Adrian Lewis, John Part and Peter Wright, and 12 behind the legendary Phil Taylor.
However, it’s worth noting that he’s lost his last two World Championships finals, and hasn’t clinched the crown since 2019. On the other hand, Littler has made history by becoming only the seventh man to reach back-to-back World Championship finals after his 6-1 victory over Stephen Bunting on Thursday.
Van Gerwen admitted he spotted a little flaw in Luke Littler’s throw last year ( Image:
(Image: Getty)) The teen is out for revenge following last year’s defeat to Humphries and aims to shatter Van Gerwen’s record as the youngest ever world champion. The Dutchman achieved this feat in 2014 when he won the title at 24, but 17-year-old Littler could obliterate this record with a win tonight.
The rivalry between Littler and Van Gerwen is finely balanced, with both players boasting six wins against each other. Littler’s impressive form throughout the tournament should give him a confidence boost, especially after setting a new record for the highest set average in a World Championship match, averaging 140.91 in the fourth and final set against Ryan Meikle.
Littler also needs to score just seven more 180s to break Michael Smith’s tournament record of 83, set in 2022. But Van Gerwen has the advantage of experience, having played in high-stakes, high-pressure matches for over a decade. While it’s a tough game to predict, it’s guaranteed to be an exciting spectacle for the fans.
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