- Luke Littler takes on Michael Smith in the Premier League Darts final tomorrow
- He is an avid Man United fan and poked fun at Arsenal’s 2023-24 season
- Litter added that he wasn’t worried about ‘getting stick’ ahead of the final
Luke Littler has joked that ‘Arsenal fans are bottle jobs’ as the Manchester United fan insists he isn’t worried about ‘getting a bit of stick’ from fans when he arrives for the Premier League Darts final in London on Thursday night.
The 16-year-old darts sensation qualified for the showpiece event at the O2 Arena for the first time in his career, topping the initial group stage standings, to advance to the final of the Premier League Darts.
PDC World Darts Champion Luke Humphries and seven-time world champion winner, Michael van Gerwen would qualify in second and third place, with Humphries four points off Littler in second place. Behind them Michael Smith, who bested Littler last week before going on to win Night 16, was the final qualifier.
He and the 16-year-old darts sensation will do battle in the semi-finals on Thursday, having met seven times previously, with Smith edging Littler 5-2 in victories.
Littler is one player who enjoys bantering and joking with fans, but following Man United‘s indifferent season, he stated that he wasn’t too bothered about copping a
But speaking ahead of the event, Littler, a Man United supporter, said he was not concerned about being teased by fans in London about his team’s indifferent form this season.
Speaking to SPORTBible, he was asked whether he’d be safe in London from football fans directing jokes about Man United towards him.
Click here to resize this module
‘I’m not really thinking about London,’ he said, when asked whether he was expecting any stick.
‘If there’s any Arsenal fans, they’re bottle jobs,’ he added before going on to take a swipe at Chelsea and Tottenham’s difficulties.
‘Spurs, they just can’t talk. And then Chelsea have just lost their manager.’
It came following yesterday’s bombshell news that the Blues had parted ways with Mauricio Pochettino, despite his work guiding the west London club to sixth place in the Premier League standings, above Man United, after a rocky start to the season.
Littler also appeared to note Arsenal’s woes of missing out on the Premier League title to Man City, by a meagre two points. It came after the Gunners dropped points to Aston Villa during their title race run-in, ultimately costing them a chance to stay ahead of Pep Guardiola’s side and win the league.
The teenage darts sensation has not held back previously when it comes to taunting rival fans.
Click here to resize this module
He was jeered during an appearance in Liverpool in April by Liverpool fans after mocking them for losing 2-0 to Everton at Goodison park, a defeat that would have huge ramifications on their title race challenge.
Littler though, admitted there was one club that he would take abuse from, though.
‘Maybe, Crystal Palace fans. They can say 4-0. I’ll allow that. But not the other three,’ he said.
Man United would go on to finish eighth in the standings, their lowest finish in the history of the Premier League.
Questions are mounting over whether the club will choose to keep Erik ten Hag next season, with the Dutchman guiding his side to the FA Cup final. They’ll take on Manchester City this weekend at Wembley, but a win may not guarantee Ten Hag’s safety.
Littler, meanwhile, stated that while he might expect to cop some banter from football fans this week, he also has free reign to dish it back out.
He was asked whether he is in a position to dish out the trash talk, replying while laughing: ‘Myself I can… Not the club.’