Luke Littler was inspired to win his Premier League homecoming by Manchester United’s late collapse at Chelsea.

Littler, a staunch United fan, came on to stage at the AO Arena in Manchester moments after watching his side conceded two goals in injury time to lose 4-3 at Stamford Bridge and claimed a second successive weekly Premier League win, beating Gerwyn Price 6-3 in the final.

The 17-year-old star, who enjoyed a maiden victory in Belfast last week, was happy to give United fans in attendance something to cheer about.

“We were watching backstage, we were winning 3-2 and we conceded a penalty and Cole Palmer scored and then he scored again,” Littler said.

“I was in a bad mood, I was like, ‘I’m winning this now’. It gave me motivation.

“There were a few Manchester United fans on the walkout so I was glad to win.”

Price had thrown an epic nine-dart finish against Michael Smith in the semi-final, but was not good enough to get past the teenager, who was imperious in the final.

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Victory sends him to the top of the Premier League table as his star continues to burn bright following his breakthrough at the World Championship over Christmas.

Having already won titles at the Bahrain Masters, PDC Players Championship and Belgian Open, he is now all-but certain to qualify for the play-offs at the O2 in London.

“I just try and live my life as I have done so far,” he said. “As a 17-year-old boy, I just know every week playing these guys I have looked up to, I just thrive off it.

“All I do is stay in my zone. I just do what I do.”

Price produced his best performance of this year’s competition and became the first man to throw a perfect set of darts since he did it twice in a night in Belfast in 2022.

And his run to the final raises his hopes of getting to the O2, though he has a lot of work to do in the final few weeks.

Littler’s night started well as he took a winning record in his rivalry with Michael van Gerwen.

It had been tied at 3-3 but Littler moved ahead with a 6-3 quarter-final win before beating Nathan Aspinall in the semi-final, thanks largely to 131, 90 and 136 checkouts.

Price was superb in beating Peter Wright in the quarter-final before a magnificent performance, capped by the nine-dart finish, sent him to the final.

Manchester’s AO Arena will again host a group stage of the Davis Cup Finals in September, the International Tennis Federation has confirmed.

A record crowd for the competition in this country of 13,000 saw Leon Smith’s Great Britain team triumph in a nail-biting tie against France last year to book their place in the Final Eight event in Malaga, where they lost to Serbia in the quarter-finals.

The ITF all but announced in November that Manchester would again be a host city and that has now been rubber-stamped, with the challenge for organisers to try to boost crowds for the non-GB ties.

Britain will find out their three opponents for the group stage, which takes place from September 10-15, at the draw next Tuesday.

LTA director of major events and digital, Chris Pollard, said: “We are delighted to bring the Davis Cup Finals group stage back to Manchester again this September.

“We saw first-hand how the fans embraced the event and how their support helped our team win their group in 2023.

“We are looking forward to working with our partners at Manchester City Council and Marketing Manchester to make the Davis Cup even bigger and better this year, helping open up our sport to many more people.”

Britain were given a wild card into the group stage along with Spain, while champions Italy and runners-up Australia also avoided having to play in last month’s qualifiers.

Bologna and Valencia join Manchester as returning hosts while Zhuhai will also stage a group despite China not being among the 16 competing nations.

Chris Eubank Jr stopped British rival Liam Smith in round 10 of their rematch to gain revenge for his defeat in January at the AO Arena in Manchester.

Smith, who beat Eubank in a fourth-round stoppage at the same venue in January, was twice knocked down before the referee stepped in to spare the Liverpudlian from further punishment.

Eubank produced a brilliant performance from the opening round, first sending Smith to the canvas in the fourth round and again in the 10th, as he secured the 34th win of his professional career.

“I had no other choice (but to beat Smith). There’s too many other big fights out there for me that the fans want to see, that I want to be involved in,” Eubank said in the ring after the bout.

“I had to beat Liam tonight. Liam is a warrior. I respect him, his team, his family and his brothers.

“They always come out and put it all on the line. He fought until the last second, so big up to Liam and his team.”

“I trained hard for that fight, I trained hard for this fight. The focus is always there. I dedicate my life to this sport.

“Now we’re onto bigger and better fights. There’s some big names out there. I see a few of these guys in the crowd. I’m coming for you.”

The rematch, twice rescheduled earlier this summer from June and then July, lived up to expectation, with Eubank overcoming a hostile reception having been booed when entering the arena.

Former two-time IBO super-middleweight champion Eubank began to take control in the second round, staying behind his jab.

He caught former WBO light-middleweight champion Smith in the third round and sent him to the floor for the first time with a fierce uppercut in the next.

Smith was controversially given an extended 30 seconds to recover after spitting out his mouthguard, but he came in for more punishment in the fifth as Eubank swarmed his man as he looked to settle the bout.

More head and body shots from Eubank in the seventh round hurt Smith, who was nursing an ankle issue, with replays suggesting he twisted it in the second round.

Eubank continued to fight with controlled aggression as the two fighters continually exchanged words at the end of rounds.

Smith was pushed backwards in the 10th and was sent sprawling to the canvas for the second time. He gamely continued, but was pinned against the ropes again and the referee stepped in to stop the fight.

Smith, sporting a deep cut above his right eye, said after the defeat: “Everything from start to finish (went wrong). I was just flat from the start.

“Chris was sharp. That’s all I can say about it really. I shout when I win, I take my defeats when I lose.”