03 January 2024 , 22:57
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Tottenham star James Maddison held up a sign reading 'North London is white' in a dig at rivals Arsenal while he watched the World Darts Championship final at Alexandra Palace.
Maddison, 27, is a darts fanatic and as he continues his recovery from injury made sure to be in attendance as Luke Humphries beat 16-year-old hotshot Luke Littler 7-4 in an epic final on Wednesday. The England international had to endure a chant of "Tottenham get battered, everywhere they go," from a section of the buoyant crowd, but Maddison responded with a dig of his own.
Despite only being in his first season with Spurs and his side trailing Arsenal in the Premier League table, the fan-favourite midfielder was happy to fire back. Maddison was enjoying himself, too, posting a video from the crowd on Instagram and writing as the caption: "Ally Pally."
The 27-year-old got to witness a thrilling final, with teenage sensation Littler leading 4-2 after six sets. But Humphries, the new world No.1 even before the final, capitalised on some errors and fought back to claim a 7-4 win which brought him a £500,000 prize pot.
Manchester United fan Littler told Sky Sports after his defeat: "It's been unbelievable. The one negative was I lost too many legs on my throw so Luke could break me. Fair play to Luke, he deserves it."
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On moving up into the top 32, the 16-year-old added: "I would rather be in the top 32 than play the development tour. I am happy, top 32 and runner-up on my debut, it's unbelievable. I got to the final and might not get to another for the next five or 10 years. I can say I'm runner-up but I just want to go and win it."
Your turn! Who'll finish higher this season - Tottenham or Arsenal? Let us know your prediction in the comments section.
Maddison would've enjoyed the spectacle, having revealed his love for darts during his spell with ex-club Leicester. "The first time I did it was Newcastle away and it was during the Worlds," Maddison told Sky Sports in an interview last year.
"It was very much a topic of conversation and me and a few of the lads; Jamie Vardy, Luke Thomas and Harvey Barnes, we play darts all the time. Every away trip we get the board up when we’ve got time to kill and we play. I've got a board at home and I practice all the time!"