Nathan Aspinall has revealed that he had a feeling Luke Littler would suffer a shock early exit at the World Grand Prix, and after what happened in Leicester, his comments look rather interesting.
Littler arrived at the tournament as the defending champion and world number one, with expectations understandably high. Instead, his title defence lasted just one night as Luke Woodhouse produced one of the biggest upsets of the tournament to send him crashing out in the opening round.
Aspinall was then handed the unenviable task of facing Woodhouse in the second round. Rather than being intimidated by the man who had just beaten Littler, however, Aspinall produced a commanding performance and swept Woodhouse aside 3-0.
Aspinall Saw Littler’s Exit Coming
Speaking after his victory over Woodhouse, Aspinall admitted that Littler’s defeat had not completely surprised him.
The world number 15 revealed that he had already predicted the reigning champion would struggle before the tournament even got properly underway. Aspinall said he “wasn’t too shocked” by Littler’s early elimination, explaining that he had not expected the teenager to win his opening match.
That is quite a statement when you consider the circumstances.
Littler had been one of the dominant forces in darts throughout 2026, and he entered Leicester as the defending World Grand Prix champion. He was also looking to bounce back after losing to Jonny Clayton in the quarter-finals of the World Series of Darts Finals in Amsterdam the previous week.
From the outside, it was difficult to imagine Littler leaving the tournament after only one match.
But Aspinall had apparently seen enough to believe an upset was possible.
Littler’s Shock Defeat
The opening night could hardly have gone more differently from what most fans expected.
Littler won the first set against Woodhouse 3-1 and appeared to have taken control. Woodhouse, however, refused to disappear and began capitalising on Littler’s mistakes.
The 37-year-old levelled the match before taking control of the deciding set. Woodhouse eventually sealed the victory with a two-dart 75 checkout, completing a 2-1 comeback and sending the defending champion home.
What made the result particularly remarkable was that Littler was not simply beaten by an opponent producing an unstoppable performance.
He had opportunities.
Woodhouse had missed chances in the opening set, while Littler struggled to produce his usual level of scoring and finishing. Once Woodhouse sensed that the world number one was vulnerable, though, he kept applying pressure.
That is exactly what an underdog has to do against someone like Littler.
You cannot wait for the favourite to rediscover his best form. You have to take advantage while the opportunity is there.
Woodhouse Did Not Let the Moment Overwhelm Him
This is where Woodhouse deserves enormous credit.
Beating Littler on a big stage is one thing. Doing it after losing the opening set against the defending champion is another.
Woodhouse remained composed when the match began slipping in his direction, and his finishing in the final set ultimately made the difference.
Afterwards, Woodhouse also refused to pile pressure onto Littler, instead praising the teenager’s extraordinary ability.
“Luke’s not a robot. He’s going to have days and weeks and whatever where he’s not right on it,” Woodhouse said.
He added: “But people have echoed it and I’m going to say it again, he’s one of a kind, Luke.”
That was an important response from Woodhouse.
The temptation after beating the biggest name in the tournament is to celebrate the opponent’s failure, but Woodhouse focused on what Littler has already achieved. He also urged people to appreciate the young star rather than constantly criticise him.
Aspinall Then Faced The Giant Killer
The draw produced an intriguing storyline immediately.
Woodhouse’s reward for beating Littler was a second-round meeting with Aspinall, a player who knows Littler extremely well and had just survived a difficult first-round encounter with Kevin Doets.
Aspinall needed a deciding leg to beat Doets after his opponent missed three match darts, including one at the bullseye. It was not the cleanest victory, but Aspinall showed plenty of resilience to get through.
That made the Woodhouse match particularly interesting.
Woodhouse had just produced the biggest win of his tournament. Aspinall had survived his own scare.
Would the momentum continue for Woodhouse?
The answer was emphatically no.
Aspinall produced a far more convincing performance and defeated Woodhouse 3-0 in the second round, booking his place in the quarter-finals.
That result adds another fascinating twist to Aspinall’s earlier prediction.
He had effectively warned that Littler could be vulnerable, watched Woodhouse prove him right and then eliminated the player responsible.
The World Grand Prix Is Wide Open
Littler’s departure has completely changed the complexion of the tournament.
Michael van Gerwen also suffered a first-round defeat, losing 2-1 to Ryan Joyce, meaning another former champion was gone before the tournament had properly settled.
That matters because the World Grand Prix is already one of the most unpredictable events on the PDC calendar.
The unique double-in, double-out format can expose weaknesses that might not be as obvious in regular events. Players must hit a double or the bullseye to begin a leg, as well as needing a double to finish it.
One poor sequence can therefore become extremely costly.
And without Littler sitting at the top of the draw, the remaining players suddenly have a much clearer opportunity to lift one of the sport’s biggest trophies.
Aspinall Now Has A Genuine Opportunity
For Aspinall, the timing could hardly be more interesting.
He is now through to the quarter-finals after beating the man who eliminated the defending champion. His opponent will be Ryan Joyce, who followed his victory over Van Gerwen by defeating Danny Noppert 3-0.
That is certainly not an easy route.
Joyce has already shown that he can handle the pressure of the World Grand Prix, and defeating Van Gerwen before sweeping aside Noppert is a serious statement.
But Aspinall will have every reason to believe he belongs in the latter stages.
The 2026 World Grand Prix has already produced enough surprises to prove that reputations mean very little once the players step onto the oche.
Final Thoughts
Aspinall’s prediction is now one of the more intriguing side stories of a tournament that has already delivered plenty of drama.
Littler’s defeat remains the headline, but Woodhouse’s performance showed that even the world’s best player can be vulnerable when his scoring and finishing are slightly below their usual level.
Then Aspinall stepped in and showed exactly why experience matters in this format.
He predicted Littler’s exit, watched Woodhouse pull off the upset and then beat Woodhouse himself.
Now the question is whether Aspinall can turn that remarkable sequence into a deep run of his own.
With Littler and Van Gerwen already gone, the door is wide open.
And after seeing how unpredictable this World Grand Prix has been so far, who would dare predict what happens next?