Luke Littler trolls Newcastle fans after shock Premier League Darts defeat

Luke Littler may have lost in his first game of the 2026 Premier League Darts campaign – but he’s still had the last laugh.

The World No.1 was beaten by Gian van Veen in the quarter-final of the opening night of Premier League action in Newcastle.

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However, despite the disappointment, Littler seemed to be in good spirits as he aimed a cheeky dig at the local football fans.

Newcastle were beaten 3-1 by Manchester City in their Carabao Cup semi-final second leg on Wednesday night.

That saw the Magpies crash out of the competition as they lost 5-1 on aggregate and miss the chance to play Arsenal at Wembley in the final.

Littler may be a Manchester United fan, but he was willing to jump onto his rivals’ side to hit out at Newcastle supporters.

The 19-year-old posted a picture of himself backstage at the Utilita Arena watching the rest of Thursday night’s action.

And he wrote in the caption on Instagram: “Newcastle u was brilliant. Onto next week…ps 3-1.”

He followed that comment with three smiling, tongue out emojis, hinting at his not-so-serious intent behind the dig.

Plenty of Newcastle fans will have been in the building to see Littler lose to Van Veen in the quarter-finals, with some potentially part of the small number booing the teenager as he walked on.

The Dutchman won 6-4 in the rematch of the World Championship final on his debut in the Premier League.

Van Veen progressed through to take on Jonny Clayton in the semi-finals, beating him too and reaching the Night 1 final.

Instagram @lukethenukelittler

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A rare loss

Littler had some right to feel in a good mood after a strong performance despite defeat to Van Veen in Newcastle.

He averaged higher than his opponent throughout, with a 96.98 average compared to Van Veen’s 95.55.

But it was his finishing that let him down, as he only took out four of his 12 darts at a double at the oche.

The Dutch No.1 finished six of 14 attempts at his double.

Defeat for Littler meant that his nine-game win streak came to an end, losing for the first time since January 16.

This was only the second loss of 2026 for the world champion.

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When is Littler next in action?

The teenage sensation will be back on the Premier League stage to try and bounce back on Thursday, February 12.

Littler will be taking on Luke Humphries in his Night 2 quarter-final at the AFAS Dome in Antwerp, Belgium.

talkSPORT 2 will have live coverage of all the action next week.

Commentary will come from Ian Danter, Paul Nicholson and Chris Mason, with a live watchalong available on the talkSPORT Darts YouTube channel.

To tune in to talkSPORT or talkSPORT 2 through the website, click HERE for the live stream. 

You can also listen via the talkSPORT app, on DAB digital radio, through your smart speaker and on 1089 or 1053 AM.