Gerwyn Price claimed victory at the Premier League Darts 2026 on night nine on Thursday in Manchester at the AO Arena, defeating Gian van Veen 6-2 in the final.
The Welshman was in top form throughout the evening, thrashing Luke Humphries in the quarter-finals with stunning 167 and 135 checkouts. However, the biggest talking point of the night was the heated moment between Luke Littler and Gian van Veen.
Price continued his strong run in the semi-finals, averaging 112.9 against Stephen Bunting, who himself averaged 106 in a high-quality contest. Price also produced a brilliant 170 checkout during the night. This marked his second win of the season, having also won on Night Two in Antwerp.
After the win, Gerwyn Price said, "I was chasing two points first and foremost in my first game against Luke. It was a tough game. I started off with two big checkouts which settled me into the game, and then I played really well against Stephen, who I also thought played well. I don't think Gian was really on his game in the final, but sometimes you just feel like you can't miss, and that's how it felt tonight."
The win also saw Price move up to second place in the standings, leapfrogging his World Cup partner Jonny Clayton on leg difference.
Meanwhile, the tension between Littler and Van Veen stole the spotlight. The moment began when Van Veen missed a crucial double that could have sealed the match. As he reacted in frustration, Littler appeared to celebrate the miss, something Van Veen later described as disrespectful. The incident sparked visible irritation between the two players.
The drama escalated further when Littler, after missing his own chances, made a "cry-baby" gesture towards the crowd. Despite the tension, Van Veen kept his composure and edged the match 6-5 to book his place in the semi-finals. The players shared only a brief handshake at the end before Littler walked off.
Explaining his side, Van Veen told Sky Sports, "From my perspective, I missed the double 15 and I was fuming with myself that I missed, and I looked around and he was celebrating that I missed. That was out of order." He added that while emotions can run high, both players likely had their own perspective on the incident.
Littler, however, did not stay quiet. He later responded on Instagram by posting Van Veen's quotes with a laughing emoji, along with an image highlighting the PDC titles he has won over the past two years.