Jonny Clayton beaten by Luke Littler in Cardiff final, Littler climbs
Luke Littler beat Premier League leader Jonny Clayton 6-4 in a top-quality final at the Utilita Arena in Cardiff, sealing the victory with a 52 checkout to claim his first nightly win of the 2026 Premier League campaign. The result leaves jonny clayton at the summit of the table while Littler moves into the top tier of the standings, with one count putting him third on nine points alongside Gerwyn Price and Gian van Veen.
Jonny Clayton Cardiff final
Clayton, 51, opened strong in the final by regaining a lead after an early break and produced a bullseye finish that briefly energized the home crowd, but he ultimately lost 6-4 to Littler at the Utilita Arena. The pattern suggests Clayton remains a consistent contender on his Premier League return—he reached the final after beating Gian van Veen and Luke Humphries and still holds first place on the table despite the defeat.
Luke Littler’s 170 checkouts
The 19-year-old Littler produced back-to-back 170 “Big Fish” checkouts during the night, repeating the finish he hit to close his semi-final against Gerwyn Price and nearly completing a nine-dart leg when he missed double 15. The figures point to a sharp scoring and finishing spike: Littler fired a 106. 5 average in the final, delivered two 170 checkouts and closed the match with a 52 checkout to secure the nightly title.
Premier League Night Five standings
Littler’s Night Five victory moved him up the leaderboard—one summary places him in the top four after the Cardiff night, while another shows him on nine points, level with Gerwyn Price and Gian van Veen and rising into third place. The immediate implication is a more congested early-season table: Littler becomes the fifth different nightly winner in the first five weeks of the campaign, and Clayton’s runner-up finish still leaves him leading the standings.
For now, Night Five clarified two things: Littler has turned recent practice into match-winning form, and jonny clayton’s return to the Premier League continues to produce final appearances and points that keep him atop the leaderboard. If Littler sustains his high averages and repeat 170 checkouts at Premier League Night Six, the data suggests he could climb further from his current third/fourth position and change the championship battle.
The next confirmed development in the campaign is Premier League Night Six; that event will resolve whether Littler can convert this peak form into a sustained rise up the standings or whether Clayton’s lead will hold against the other early contenders.
