Nicholson puts Littler above Taylor after Matchplay masterclass

PAUL NICHOLSON reckons Luke Littler produced the greatest major tournament performance in darts history at the World Matchplay.

The former pro admits he never thought he would see anybody eclipse Phil Taylor's legendary 2009 European Championship display.

Taylor, 65, still holds the record for the highest televised major competition average with 111.54.

But Nicholson insists statistics do not tell the full story and believes Littler's astonishing title defence in Blackpool last month deserves to be ranked above.

The world No1 averaged 111.05 across five matches at the Winter Gardens and smashed in a record 73 maximums.

Nicholson insists Littler’s consistency across the longer format is what ultimately puts him ahead of Taylor’s legendary campaign.

He told Sporting Life: “If you'd ever told me I was going to witness a major tournament performance mightier than Phil Taylor's legendary 2009 European Championship, I'd have laughed.

“I never believed it was possible. Even since Luke Littler burst onto the scene because the Power's relentless consistency that weekend was from another planet.

“Statistically, Taylor's average of 111.54 across his five matches still edges Luke Littler's 111.05 at the Winter Gardens but darts isn't played on a spreadsheet.

“When you factor in the length of the matches, the quality of the opposition, the relentless consistency and the sheer volume of brilliance across an entire week, Littler's 2026 World Matchplay campaign has become the greatest tournament performance I've ever seen.

“Coming into the World Matchplay we wondered whether anybody could expose Luke Littler over the longer format. He'd had slow starts in previous years and perhaps that would give somebody an opening.

“Instead, he never looked like being in serious trouble even when Niko Springer nudged ahead early on or when Nathan Aspinall stayed on his coat tails with a superb performance himself.

“What impressed me most wasn't one spectacular average or one magical session. It was the relentless consistency.

“After his semi-final against Dirk van Duijvenbode, Littler averaged 110.88 for the match. At that point his average for the tournament was also 110.88! I've genuinely never seen anything like it.

“His scoring was ridiculous. His record number of 180s worked out at almost 0.7 maximums per leg. To put that into context, most elite players would be deemed prolific with around 0.3 over a sustained period.

“I've also never seen anyone use those combinations on the biggest stage with such confidence. He's not just playing better than everyone else.

“He's making the rest of the sport think differently.”

The Nuke is currently enjoying a spell of supremacy rarely seen in darts, having gone unbeaten in all six ranked majors this season and swept every major title on offer.

His last defeat in a ranked major came against James Wade at the 2025 European Championship, underlining the incredible standard he has set.

Taylor became the sport’s ultimate benchmark during his legendary career, claiming a record 16 World Championship crowns across three decades.

Nicholson drew comparisons between Littler’s current dominance and Taylor’s golden era.

He added: "The 2009 European Championship came in a period when Taylor walked around venues with an aura of invincibility - just like Littler does now.

“I was there and nobody realistically was touching him on a regular basis. Any time he got beaten in this era, it was a story in itself.

"He was picking and choosing his events, focused predominantly on the majors and was constantly fresh. He had it all cracked.

“He knew what he needed to do at his age and skill level to beat everyone in front of him. It was almost demoralising for everyone else. What do we have to do to beat him? Does this sound familiar?!

"Statistically – for a major tournament - it remains top of the pile with an average of 111.54.

“He won 47 legs, lost 11, averaged 111.54 and threw 37 maximums. But, subjectively - and I can't believe I'm about to write it - Littler's World Matchplay is number one."

Words: Aaron Nijjar

Image: Taylor Lanning