Luke Littler will be seeking revenge when he comes up against Gerwyn Price at the Bahrain Masters. The two players collide in the quarter-finals on Friday night. It is the third year in a row that Littler and Price have crossed paths at this event, once again reigniting a rivalry that has already delivered plenty of drama.

Littler arrives as the clear favourite after his emphatic triumph at the World Darts Championship. Even so, Price should not be underestimated. The Welsh star eliminated Littler at this very stage last year, sealing a 6-2 win and posting an outstanding 115.31 average. That loss triggered a tough spell for Littler, who then suffered three further consecutive defeats to Price before eventually halting the slide in the Premier League play-offs semi-finals. During that best-of-19-leg match, Price surged into a 6-4 advantage, which led to an obviously irritated Littler storming off the stage.

“As soon as Gez hit the double five to go 6-4 up, I went off stage, I needed to get up for it,” the teenager explained afterwards. “First five or six legs I was nervous, so going into the break [after 10 legs] 6-4 down, it’s not what I wanted. But I knew myself I love coming on after a break. I just relaxed myself and got the job done.”

From that point on, Littler has dominated the head-to-head, claiming victory in all seven of their subsequent encounters. By comparison, The Iceman endured a frustrating 2026 World Championship, bowing out in round two after defeat to Wesley Plaisier.

Price’s first appearance in Bahrain on Thursday offered little evidence of a resurgence. He edged past Motomu Sakai 6-4 with a modest 86.34 average. Littler, on the other hand, looked ruthless, sweeping aside Paul Lim 6-1 while averaging a commanding 106.50.

Even with his recent form issues, the Bahrain Masters has frequently been kind to Price. Last year, he overcame Littler and two-time world champion Peter Wright to book a place in the final, where Stephen Bunting ultimately denied him the title.

In 2024, Price eliminated reigning world champion Luke Humphries before losing to Littler in the semi-finals. Back in 2023, the first staging of the tournament, he also made the final but was beaten by Michael Smith.

Whenever Littler and Price share the stage, entertainment usually follows. However, the Welshman will have to produce something special if he is to disrupt the momentum of the in-form Littler juggernaut.