• Littler’s missed doubles cheered in win over Rob Cross

• Champion denies being bothered in unconvincing style

They say you either die a hero, or live long enough to become the villain. At a feverish and hostile Alexandra Palace, the same crowd that cheered Luke Littler on as a 16-year-old boy now jeers him to victory as an 18-year-old man. The character arc has come full circle; the heel turn complete. He is three matches from retaining his world title, and remains the overwhelming favourite to do so. But from this point, he’s going to have to do it on his own.

As he finally skewered the winning dart to beat the spirited Rob Cross 4-2, he spun around to rebuke the audience that had done everything in its power to rattle him, from cheering his missed doubles to singing for Michael van Gerwen instead. “NOW WHAT?” he screamed at the sea of rented fancy dress, once and then twice. The heckling continued, surged even, and had still not abated by the time Littler gathered for his stage interview.