Manchester, England – Nathan Aspinall made his home crowd proud as he captured his first nightly victory of the 2025 Premier League Darts, defeating world number one Luke Humphries 6-4 in the final at the AO Arena on April 10.
The 33-year-old from Stockport staged a remarkable comeback, rallying from a 3-0 deficit to claim the win. After Humphries missed a crucial dart for a 4-0 lead, Aspinall took charge, winning six of the next seven legs to secure victory.
Aspinall’s triumph follows a strong semi-final performance where he dispatched three-time world champion Michael van Gerwen 6-2. Averaging an impressive 101.31, he dominated his way to the final while overcoming challenges along the way.
“It wasn’t a pretty game in the final, but I have never, ever, been so nervous as on those last darts,” Aspinall told Sky Sports. “The support I had tonight was absolutely unreal. I wanted to win so much for the crowd.”
Despite the shaky start in the final, Aspinall picked up momentum with an 11-dart break, narrowing the gap to 3-2. His scoring gradually improved, upping his average from the mid-70s to a final tally of 93.29.
Humphries also had an outstanding night, having earlier achieved a nine-darter in his quarter-final against Gerwyn Price. He recorded the sixth-highest average in PDC televised history at 118.43.
In the semi-finals, Humphries defeated 2024 world champion Luke Littler, managing a tough 6-4 victory to set up a final clash with Aspinall.
Aspinall’s journey back to the top has not been easy. He has dealt with dartitis and other injuries in previous years. Now, with this victory, he finds himself in fourth place in the standings, tied on points with van Gerwen and Price.
“I’m a fighter. I won’t give up,” said Aspinall. “I’ve been through an horrendous two years, but I am in a privileged position and I respect that.” The win demonstrates his resilience and determination to remain competitive in the Premier League.
Looking ahead, he emphasized the importance of confidence in performance. “All eight players are as good as each other. It’s about who’s confident at the moment,” Aspinall added further highlighting his readiness for future matches.
Aspinall’s win at the AO Arena not only boosts his own standings but also secures vital points as the competition progresses, intensifying the race for play-off spots ahead of the finals scheduled for May 23 at London’s O2 Arena.
