Michael van Gerwen earned a classic 6-5 win over 18-year-old world champion Luke Littler on the first night of the Premier League of Darts in Belfast.

Luke Humphries dominated on the opening night of the Premier League in Belfast as he thrased Chris Dobey 6-1 in the final. World number one Humphries, who won the Winmau World Masters title on Sunday, was in relentless form against Dobey, having swept Nathan Aspinall before edgining a final-leg decider against Michael van Gerwen at the SSE Arena.

Michael van Gerwen ended Luke Littler's Premier League title defence in Belfast, securing a 6-5 quarter-final victory despite the teenager's remarkable 113.91 average. The clash at the SSE Arena saw the defending champion fail to secure any points in his opening game of this year's tournament.

Michael van Gerwen reminded Luke Littler that he is ‘not a baby anymore’ after the defending champion arrived late for media duties on the Premier League’s eve. Littler returns to the Premier League as the tournament’s defending champion and the new world champion after his dominant performance against Van Gerwen in January’s final at Alexandra Palace.