Will it be a happy Nuke year for Littler?

LUKE MUST SHOW MORE VENOM TO DEFEAT 'ASP'

- Mike Walters

HE'S got the talent and the bottle plus Luke Littler has the afterburners to take the chequered flag.

Luke the Nuke's path to the PDC World Championship quarter-finals has been a bumpier road than his magic carpet ride 12 months ago.

But when he faces good pal Nathan Aspinall, below, at Alexandra Palace tonight, he will be fortified by two traits that separate champions from contenders resilience under pressure and a scoring power few, if any, can match.

Littler's record against the 'Asp' is impressive seven wins in eight meetings with aggregate score an of 45-31 in legs, and his only defeat coming in the Premier League at Nottingham in March.

Now he must recalibrate his sights because the anticipated 'Lukes of Hazard' semi-final with Luke Humphries, his conqueror in the final last year, is off the table.