NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE, England -- Luke Littler has said that he can't see his rivals challenging his and Luke Humphries' dominance of the sport during this year's Premier League.
Littler and Humphries have laid waste to the rest of the field in PDC tournaments, with Gian van Veen the other only man to win a major televised ranking event over the past two years with his European Championship triumph in October.
The 19-year-old beat Humphries in the 2024 Premier League final to win his first major and Humphries defeated Littler in last year's final at the O2 Arena.
The two-time world champion enters the new Premier League campaign, which gets under way in Newcastle on Thursday, as the red-hot favourite with Humphries just behind.
Asked if he can you see anyone challenging their Premier League dominance, Littler replied: "I don't think so. Obviously me and Luke are there -- we're there to be beaten. Obviously Gian's there to be beaten now [too].
"I think Luke, playing him in the Masters, he's changed as a player. Usually within the first few legs, few sets, he wouldn't lose his head a bit, but he'd get frustrated, but I didn't see [any sign of that this time].
"Like Luke said to you guys, he's changing obviously with his darts and in himself. So yeah, Luke's a brand new player and I can't wait to play him week in and in and week out."
With the weekend victory over Humphries in the final of the World Masters, Littler has just one major tournament left to win to complete a career sweep. It has left him perhaps eyeing individual records and repeat victories as a means of motivation.
"I'll just go with the flow, see what happens. Obviously get some nightly wins on the board. Try and break my own record now. Try and break the 180 record if I can.
"But yeah, most importantly is get to the 02 and hopefully get the trophy back," Littler told a news conference.
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After their Masters meeting, Humphries described Littler as "the greatest player that's ever lived" but The Nuke is keen to stress that Phil Taylor is still the best to have stepped up to the oche. Littler also revealed that the 16-time world champion is there to offer guidance should he need it.
"I don't think I've really asked him for advice. It's always just been just calm chats about how's it going and stuff with the travel," Littler said.
"I don't think Taylor, he didn't like the travel either, and neither do I. But yeah, if I need any sort of advice, obviously I'd go to Gary at Target, and then if he doesn't know what to do, then obviously I'd go to Phil."
Littler faces Gian van Veen in a repeat of January's World Championship final on the first night of the new Premier League campaign.