Gian van Veen has sent a warning to Luke Littler after claiming he can defeat the world No 1 without playing his best darts. The Dutch star secured a crucial victory over Littler in the Premier League Darts opener in Newcastle, despite admitting he wasn't at his peak form.

The European Champion's win came during an impressive debut campaign where he reached the final against Michael van Gerwen. Van Veen's confidence has been boosted by defeating Littler, whom he famously lost to in the World Championship final. The 23-year-old believes his ability to win without being at his best gives him a psychological edge Van Veen faces Gerwyn Price in the quarter-finals in Antwerp, where he'll look to build on his strong start. Meanwhile, Littler remains focused on the long Premier League season, insisting there's still plenty of time to recover after his opening night defeat. The back-to-back world champion has dominated in Belgium previously, winning multiple European Tour titles in the country.