The Dutchman, whose last Premier triumph came at this event in 2023, rolled back the years with a weekend of high-octane darts capped by an 11-7 win over the teenage prodigy.
It was his first piece of silverware since that victory, and his latest statement that, despite recent struggles, he remains a formidable force.
“I have goosebumps, it’s amazing to hold a trophy again,” reflected an emotional Van Gerwen, who celebrated the win on stage with his daughter Zoe.
“Everyone knows I’ve had a difficult time in the last few months, but to win in front of my home crowd means a lot to me.
“I was playing some fantastic darts, and that gives you energy, that gives you joy, and I’m really glad I could perform like this. It means the world to me.
“I had to dig really deep to do this. I still love what I do, and hopefully this is the beginning of a bright future for me.”
Having survived match darts against Wessel Nijman and Rob Cross earlier in the weekend, Van Gerwen cut loose on Finals Day.
He averaged 106 to dispatch world No. 1 Luke Humphries, then pulled away from Josh Rock in the semi-finals before setting up a repeat of January’s World Championship final.
Littler, who was chasing back-to-back Premier titles for the first time, began brightly and levelled at 3-3 with a 10-darter. But Van Gerwen responded with a burst of scoring power, including an 11-dart break, to take control.
Littler fought back to parity at 6-6 only for Van Gerwen, roared on by a partisan AFAS Live crowd, to pull away once more. He sealed victory in style with a 130 checkout on double five.
Littler had fought his way through a demanding draw, edging past Ross Smith in a high-class quarter-final and reeling off five successive legs to stun Gerwyn Price in the semis. But he admitted the better man had prevailed.
“It was another good tournament for myself,” reflected Littler. “Michael was playing some of his best darts this weekend.
“It’s good to see him back. He’s had a tough time, but if he keeps playing like that, we’re going to have some great battles.”
Rock’s run to the last four included a convincing win over Mike De Decker, while Price recovered from behind to beat Raymond van Barneveld and Chris Dobey before falling to Littler.
For Van Gerwen, though, the weekend was about rediscovering the edge that once made him untouchable.
Click here for match stats and more
Results
Quarter-finals
Josh Rock 10-6 Mike De Decker
Michael van Gerwen 10-5 Luke Humphries
Luke Littler 10-8 Ross Smith
Gerwyn Price 10-8 Chris Dobey
Semi-finals
Michael van Gerwen 11-6 Josh Rock
Luke Littler 11-10 Gerwyn Price
Final
Michael van Gerwen 11-7 Luke Littler