Aspinall’s Manchester Magic: Night Ten Victory for Local Boy

Nathan Aspinall produced a superb fightback to deny Luke Humphries and clinch the Night Ten title on a compelling night of BetMGM Premier League action in Manchester.

Stockport star Aspinall enjoyed an evening to remember on home soil, defeating Rob Cross, Michael van Gerwen and Humphries to secure his first nightly win of the campaign.

Aspinall fought back from 3-0 down to topple world number one Humphries in a thrilling finale at the AO Arena, winning six of the last seven legs to catapult himself into the Play-Off places.

“I have never been as nervous as I was on those last darts because I’m in Manchester,” revealed Aspinall, who missed five match darts before sealing a landmark 6-4 victory.

“I’ve got all my family and friends here, and so many people supporting me tonight, so I’m just so happy I won for them.

“This is a big win for me tonight in my home town, and I’m going to get so much confidence from this.

“The thing is with me, when I’m a confident player and scoring well, there’s not many people in the world of darts that can beat me.

“I’ve been through a horrendous two years but I’m a fighter, I’m a warrior.

“I don’t know when I’m beaten and I’m in a privileged position doing a job I love. I keep fighting to the end and I will never give up.”

Aspinall kicked off his campaign with a flawless display of finishing against Rob Cross, pinning all six of his attempts at double to secure an eighth straight victory over the former World Champion.

The 33-year-old then fired in a ton-topping average to dispatch Van Gerwen 6-2 in the semi-finals, after the Dutchman had marked his return from injury with a hard-fought 6-4 victory over Chris Dobey in the evening’s opener.

However, Humphries was unable to register his third nightly victory of the season at the AO Arena, despite producing the third-highest average in Premier League history during his quarter-final demolition of Stephen Bunting.

The world number one was irresistible against a resurgent Bunting, averaging 118.43 to complete a 6-1 victory and record the sixth-highest televised average in a PDC event.

Humphries followed this up with a 6-4 success against Littler in the last four, reducing the teenager’s lead at the Premier League summit to five points in the process.

Earlier in the night, Littler ended his six-match losing run against Gerwyn Price in the quarter-finals, defying a spectacular nine-dart finish from the Welshman to triumph.

Price joined Littler, Cross and Humphries in becoming the fourth player to achieve perfection in this year’s competition, averaging 103.47 in a 6-3 defeat.

The BetMGM Premier League roadshow rolls into Rotterdam next Thursday, as Dutch superstar Van Gerwen plays Bunting on his return to home soil.

Littler takes on Cross, Aspinall opens his bid for back-to-back wins against Price, while Dobey and Humphries go head-to-head in the Night 11 curtain-raiser.

Click here for match stats and results. 

2025 BetMGM Premier League
Night Ten – Thursday April 10
AO Arena, Manchester
Quarter-Finals
Michael van Gerwen 6-4 Chris Dobey
Nathan Aspinall 6-2 Rob Cross
Luke Littler 6-3 Gerwyn Price
Luke Humphries 6-1 Stephen Bunting

Semi-Finals

Nathan Aspinall 6-2 Michael van Gerwen
Luke Humphries 6-4 Luke Littler

Final
Nathan Aspinall 6-4 Luke Humphries

Night 11 – Thursday April 17
Rotterdam Ahoy
Quarter-Finals
Chris Dobey v Luke Humphries
Gerwyn Price v Nathan Aspinall
Stephen Bunting v Michael van Gerwen
Luke Littler v Rob Cross

Semi-Finals
Dobey/Humphries v Price/Aspinall
Bunting/Van Gerwen v Littler/Cross

Final
    v

All matches best of 11 legs

—–ENDS—–

Image: Taylor Lanning/PDC