Luke Littler admitted he hopes the Alexandra Palace crowd will support him again after easily reaching the World Darts Championship semi-finals.

Littler had no problems in his 5-0 win over Krzysztof Ratajski, securing his spot in the semi-finals for the third year running, where he will face Ryan Searle.

The 18-year-old faced some heat entering his quarterfinal match because of his comments after beating Rob Cross in the previous round. He responded to fans booing him by saying, "Am I bothered?" Really, am I bothered?! Really not bothered!

Can I just say one thing? You guys pay for the tickets, and you pay for my prize money, so thank you, thank you for my money! Thank you for booing me. Thank you—come on!

Those comments resulted in boos as Littler walked onto the field against Ratajski. However, those quickly became chants of 'There is only one Luke Littler' as he won the first set with a 170 checkout.

Littler had a 100.04 average and hit 10 maximums during his straight-sets victory. Afterwards, he said he feels ready to handle any criticism.

Of course, it is a fresh year, the first day of the year. There were a few boos, Littler said.

But as soon as I got on stage, the crowd was amazing. Beforehand, family and friends told me that whatever happens, happens.

As soon as I got on stage, I clapped for everyone so they knew I wanted them on my side again. They supported me tonight, and I won. I hope it will be the same tomorrow.

I'm growing mentally as a player. I know how to handle it, and I think the Rob Cross game tested me. But I got through it. In future matches, I'll know how to deal with it and move on.

Littler: I don't have a board to practice on

Despite winning easily, Littler said that he struggled with his throw and changed it several times.

He blames this partly on having a few days off and not having a dartboard at home to practice.

He also didn't have one last year when he won, and he's using the same approach as he aims to become the first player to win back-to-back titles at the Worlds since Gary Anderson in 2016. His next challenge is a semi-final match against Ryan Searle.

I am happy to get through. "I haven't been practising for almost three days," he said.

I tried to change my throw constantly. But most importantly, I got the job done.

I was just being lazy at home and not practising. We didn't bring our dartboard.

So, I can't really practice, but I would have liked to. Now we play every day, so I hope tomorrow will be better.

We stayed at home last year, and it worked. Last year, no board won it.

Home this year, no board—we'll see what happens!

What's next?

The World Darts Championship continues on Friday, January 2, when Luke Littler plays Ryan Searle, and Gary Anderson faces Gian van Veen for a spot in the final.

The Green Bay Packers are stumbling into the playoffs after dropping three in a row. Injuries have knocked them off their early-season rhythm, but honestly, their secondary hasn’t helped either. Cornerbacks Keisean Nixon, Carrington Valentine, and Javon Bullard have all struggled, and the defence just keeps springing leaks.

So when the Dallas Cowboys cut Trevon Diggs on Tuesday, a lot of people thought the Packers got lucky—a proven All-Pro suddenly available right before the postseason? That rarely happens. But here’s the thing: Diggs isn’t necessarily the fix Green Bay needs.

If the Packers want to patch up their secondary, they should give Stephon Gilmore a call instead. He’s a former All-Pro, and even though he’s 35, his resume is hard to ignore: two-time first-team All-Pro, five Pro Bowls, and the 2019 AP Defensive Player of the Year. Sure, his last Pro Bowl nod came in 2021 with Carolina, but he’s still shown he can play.

Look at last season with the Vikings—Gilmore started 15 games, racked up 56 tackles (one for loss), picked off a pass, and broke up nine more. He gave up 58 catches for 581 yards and five touchdowns on 87 targets, which isn’t perfect, but it’s solid for a guy his age.

Yeah, five touchdowns allowed isn’t ideal, and sure, signing a veteran that late can feel a little desperate. But Gilmore’s play stacks up pretty well next to Diggs.

Diggs burst onto the scene with 11 interceptions in 2021, taking two back for touchdowns. He made the Pro Bowl again the next year, but injuries have limited him to just 21 games over three seasons. He’s the definition of boom-or-bust—an All-Pro one week, a liability the next. In that big 2021 season, he snagged 11 picks but also gave up over 1,000 yards and five scores and racked up penalty flags. This year was even rougher—he allowed three touchdowns and a perfect passer rating on just 20 targets before a concussion took him out.

So, while Diggs has the big name, Gilmore feels like the steadier hand. If the Packers want to stop the bleeding in the secondary, they should see if Gilmore’s interested in one last playoff run. Let someone else roll the dice with Diggs.