Liverpool Begin Healing Process With Touching Diogo Jota Tributes Against Preston | OneFootball

Four new signings were given their debut, several new tactical tweaks were trialled and a 16-year-old record-breaker justified the hype as Liverpool began their preparations for the 2025–26 campaign. Yet, the focus on Sunday at Preston North End’s Deepdale home was rarely directed at the action on the pitch.

Liverpool’s 3–1 win will forever be remembered as the club’s first game since the tragic passing of Diogo Jota and his brother André Silva.

Arne Slot had given the club’s fans permission to laugh again, to continue crying, to rage against the decisions that go against their side. There is no right way to grieve.

If there were a correct way to remember Jota, a unique character beloved by seemingly all who he came into contact with, Liverpool and Preston did their best to achieve it this weekend.

The parade of tributes began with a spirited rendition of Liverpool’s painfully fitting club anthem, ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’. During the chant, Preston captain Ben Whiteman strode out alone to place a wreath in front of the end of the ground packed with Liverpool fans. Standing with his hands clasped behind his back, Whiteman bowed his head in front of the tearful supporters littered with shirts, scarves and flags bearing Jota’s name and likeness.

An immaculately observed minute’s silence provided a poignant counterpoint to the outpouring of emotion.

With the game still goalless after 20 minutes, Deepdale erupted in unison to belt out Jota’s beloved anthem. “He’s a lad from Portugal,” the song goes. “Better than Figo don’t you know. Oh, his name is Diogo!”

Conor Bradley sheepishly opened the scoring shortly after the half-hour mark and didn’t seem to know whether to celebrate. Darwin Núñez had few reservations when he doubled Liverpool’s advantage within 10 minutes of the restart. The Uruguayan striker mimicked Jota’s snapping celebration, smacking his outstretched arms together before dropping to the turf to copy his former teammate’s video game homage which has been performed by several other players.

After scoring Liverpool’s final goal, Cody Gakpo echoed the crocodile snap and also held up two fingers as a nod to Jota’s No. 20 shirt—which no subsequent Liverpool player will ever wear again.

At the end of an emotional afternoon, Slot led his team towards their fans. They were met with a wall of noise universally acclaiming the late Jota which continued long after the game was over.