'i put van gerwen in his place at ally pally – littler can't be intimidated'


'i put van gerwen in his place at ally pally – littler can't be intimidated'

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Luke Littler must not let himself be intimidated by Michael van Gerwen when the teen sensation attempts to become PDC world champion for the first time. The darts stars meet tonight at


Alexandra Palace for the right to take home the Sid Waddell Trophy and £500,000. A dream final for many, it pits the greatest player of his generation against the young phenomenon who has


transcended the sport over the last 12 months. The pair have met regularly during that time, with their head-to-head record level at six wins apiece. If Littler, 17, wins, he will replace


Van Gerwen as the youngest-ever holder of the crown. MVG won it for the first time in 2014 when he was 24. The Green Machine is renowned as one of the most intimidating players in darts due


to his fearsome on-stage presence, which has crushed some players before a dart has even been thrown. A chilled-out player like Littler is unlikely to be affected, although there will be no


repeat of the friendliness which accompanied the Nuke’s semi-final victory over Stephen Bunting, where the pair often fist-bumped after sets. In recent years, Van Gerwen has shown


fallibility at Ally Pally, where he hasn’t lifted the trophy since 2019. Last year, he was shockingly beaten 5-3 by outsider Scott Williams in the last eight. The Lincolnshire thrower, 34,


was determined to show MVG that he wouldn’t be intimidated. Speaking before the 2025 tournament, Williams recalled: “I felt confident as soon as I walked into Ally Pally. I’d not really seen


what he’d been doing, who he’d been playing, I didn’t really care. “It’s one of Michael’s things [intimidating opponents], he’s very good at it. He’s doesn’t take the p*** or anything like


that. He’s professional but he wants to let you know that he’s there, with his aura, that he is the main man. “My aim was to show him my presence on the stage. I wanted to make sure he knew


that I wasn’t bothered about him, and I think I did that pretty well.” Littler insists he knows what to expect from Van Gerwen, telling talkSPORT after the win over Bunting: “There’ll be no


fist bumps after sets, I’m pretty sure. Of course, it’s the final and we’ve both got to stay focused.” He added: “It's been a while since Michael has won one. I'm sure he is hungry


for that fourth, and I'm obviously hungry for my first.”