- Van Gerwen defeated Littler in the deciding match to win the second event of the season.
- The Dutchman celebrated a “fantastic night” after several high-quality games
- Van Gerwen said he wants to continue facing sensation Littler, 17, in the final
Teenage sensation Luke Littler missed out on his first win of the Premier League season after being beaten by defending champion Michael van Gerwen in a thrilling final in Berlin.
It took a decisive stretch to determine the winner of the second round of the season in the German capital.
Littler lamented missing two match darts in the double 10 to take the win, after Van Gerwen had failed to hit the target to seal the victory.
Van Gerwen, a seven-time Premer League champion, scored a double four to claim a 6-5 victory.
“Having matches against Luke Littler is always good,” Van Gerwen told Sky Sports.
Reigning champion Michael van Gerwen beat Luke Littler 6-5 in the Premier League in Berlin
Littler missed two darts in the final and achieved his first victory in the Premer League
‘It was a great night for darts if you look at all the averages and how everyone played.
“I am very satisfied with my performance today, I was able to give it the final push and I feel that it was important for me.
I played very well, especially in the important moments and kept the pressure on my opponents.
“I feel good and there is more to come.”
Van Gerwen had come back from 4-1 down against Nathan Aspinall in their quarter-final match to win 6-4 at the Mercedes-Benz Arena.
The three-time world champion then withstood a similar comeback from Michael Smith, last week’s winner in Cardiff, to claim a 6-5 victory in the quarter-finals.
Littler took successive 6-5 wins over Rob Cross and Luke Humphries, earning a third consecutive victory over the latter after losing the World Championship final last month.
Van Gerwen expressed his hope to continue playing against Littler in more finals in the future, after facing the teenager three times in a row.
Littler won his first match to take the Bahrain Masters title when he was 16, before Van Gerwen responded by winning the Dutch Masters.
Van Gerwen hailed a fantastic night for darts after a series of high quality matches
The Dutchman added that he wants to continue facing 17-year-old sensation Littler in the final.
“It’s good, I hope we can continue like this too,” Van Gerwen said when asked if he would face Littler in another final.
“In this format, in the Premier League, you have to be good week after week. It’s non-stop and I think that was good for me. I always put energy into my game and that helps me in the long term.
‘It’s only the second week, everyone was saying “last week you lost in the first round.”
“Don’t worry, it’s not a sprint, it’s a marathon.”
Smith remains top of the Premier League table after backing up his win in Cardiff with a semi-final in Berlin.
Van Gerwen and Littler follow with five points, and the Dutchman is second in the standings after winning the second round of the series.
The 17-event Premier League season will continue in Glasgow on February 15.