LUKE Littler might well be the star attraction but there's no doubting the man to beat in the Premier League.

This year's campaign is quickly becoming the Michael van Gerwen show, who made it a hat-trick of wins in Newcastle on Thursday night, extending his lead at the top of the table to eight points.

Even at this early stage - this was only night four and van Gerwen has won three of them - it already looks like a battle between the seven other players for the three spots to join the Dutchman on finals night.

"That was always going to happen, if I play my B or C game that was always going to happen," smiled van Gerwen afterwards.

Littler, though, will fancy his chances of a top four finish. And he'll have fancied his chances of beating van Gerwen in the second semi-final on Thursday night when he was sat on 56 to win 6-5. But the table topper showed his class - and his bottle - with a stunning 90 finish with two double 18s to set-up a final against Nathan Aspinall.

A rivalry for the ages could be developing between van Gerwen and Littler, but that suggestion sparked a cheeky response from the night winner.

"Not really, I keep beating him," he said, with a wink.

But then came a warning, not aimed at Littler, but rather the media.

"He's a phenomenal player. He has such a lot of talent and a great career in front of him, but let him enjoy what he does, don't ask him too many stupid questions," said van Gerwen.

"He's a young kid, how much pressure the press and everyone puts on his shoulders is insane. I know as a player how that is. I don't think that's fair on him. Let him enjoy his life and do his own thing.

"Let him enjoy himself. Whatever he does, if he puts his shoe on, if he puts his darts in his hand, if he puts his finger in his nose, whatever he does, everyone speaks about him. Let him enjoy himself and live his life.

"I like to play against Luke Littler but if you keep doing this I've seen a lot of people drift off and I don't think that's good for the sport."

Van Gerwen will head for Exeter next week looking to achieve a Premier League first with a fourth successive night win. He'll be full of confidence but another player whose belief was boosted in the North-East was beaten finalist Aspinall, who headed for Newcastle pointless and joint bottom.

He made a game of the final and reeled in a 170 finish, but this was van Gerwen's night - again.

Last year's Newcastle Premier League stop-off was all about local hero Chris Dobey, but in the absence of the home favourite - he was in the crowd on Thursday night - Littler was undoubtedly the star attraction.

Peter Wright, usually the darling of the fans, was decked out in black and white in an effort to get the 8,000 crowd on side, and had a dart to beat the teenager. His effort at double 16 was wayward, in stepped Littler to level up at 5-5 before going on to win the decider.

That set up the mouthwatering last four clash with van Gerwen, who saw off last year's Newcastle winner Gerwyn Price in the quarter-finals.

The night had started with a ding-dong between practice partners Aspinall and Michael Smith, with the Asp edging his way into the last four after a last leg shoot-out, before world champion Luke Humphries was sent packing by Rob Cross.

Cross's hopes were brought to an end in the semi-finals by Aspinall, buoyed by finally ending his wait for a win in the first round and booking a spot in the final.

But van Gerwen had too much, which is proving to be the case on a weekly basis.