Michael van Gerwen spotted a ‘flaw’ in Luke Littler’s game (Image: Getty)
has already identified “one little” flaw in game he could look to capitalise on in their final showdown at Alexandra Palace. MVG and Littler will step toe-to-toe for the 13th time in 12 months as they battle it out for the famous Sid Waddell trophy.
Littler, 17, has won their last two encounters and will be marginal favourite heading into tonight’s (January 3) monumental clash. But Van Gerwen, 35, might fancy pulling off an upset, particularly after previously noticing a small defect in Littler’s technique.
“He has got one little thing in his throw on the end that I don’t really fancy,” the Dutchman said during last year’s World Championship tournament. He also reckoned that he was better than Littler when he was his age, but admitted the Englishman was 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,” ‘Mighty Mike’ 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.”
Littler ended up outperforming Van Gerwen in last year’s tournament by reaching the final, where he was bested by World No. 1 . MVG was knocked out at the quarter-final stage by Scott Williams, who was subsequently thrashed by Humphries in the last four.
This year, Van Gerwen hasn’t been at his impervious best, but has more than enough about him to put Littler under serious pressure. If he wins tonight, MVG will clinch his fourth world title, moving him two clear of fellow multi-time champions , Adrian Lewis, John Part and , and to within 10 of the legendary .
Littler and Van Gerwen will face off in the World Darts Championship final tonight (Image: Getty)
That said, he’s lost his last two World Championships finals, and hasn’t clinched the crown since 2019. Littler, meanwhile, became just the seventh man in history to reach successive World Championship finals following his 6-1 win over on Thursday.
The teenager is looking to avenge last year’s defeat to Humphries and shatter Van Gerwen’s record as the youngest world champion ever. The Netherlands native achieved the feat in 2014 when he lifted the title aged 24, and 17-year-old Littler will smash the record out of the park with a victory tonight.
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The Littler-Van Gerwen rivarly is evenly poised, with both players notching six wins over the other. Littler’s strong form during the tournament will give him plenty of confidence, particularly after breaking the record for the highest set average in a World Championship match, by averaging 140.91 in the fourth and final set against Ryan Meikle.
Littler also needs to hit just seven more 180s to break Michael Smith’s tournament record of 83, set in 2022. But Van Gerwen has experience on his side, following over a decade of high profile, high-pressure matches.
The match is a hard one to call, but it certainly won’t be a hard one to watch.