On Saturday afternoon, Liverpool welcomed Wolves to Anfield for an emotional couple of hours on Merseyside.
The match marked the first time that the two clubs had met on the field since the tragic passing of Diogo Jota in the summer. Jota had played for both Premier League clubs during his career and transferred from Wolves to Liverpool in 2020.
To mark the occasion, both clubs jointly organised a couple of poignant tributes, and Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk walked out with two of Jota's children at the start of the match.
Kop banner commemorates Jota
From the stands, both sets of supporters paid tribute to the player. Before kick-off, a banner that read ‘Diogo Jota, forever in our hearts' was unveiled in the Kop, which was soon followed by chants of ‘Diogo, Diogo, Diogo' from the Wolves away end.
Then, in the 20th minute, the entire stadium stood in unison to applaud as Anfield erupted into a rendition of Jota's Liverpool chant.
Diogo Jota's children joined the Liverpool mascots before the match against Wolves – the first time his two former clubs have met since he was killed in a car crash in July.
— Sky News (@SkyNews) December 27, 2025
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Speaking after the match about the show of unity between Liverpool and Wolves supporters before and during the match, Liverpool boss Arne Slot said:
“It was difficult, but in a way also special and nice. The football world again showed how to behave in moments like this. Our fans have been incredible since the tragedy happened. In every single moment, they did what you hope they would do in memory of him.
“Today, the away fans showed it is not only about our fans. In the 18th minute, the Wolves fans started singing for Diogo, and ours were clapping, and in the 20th minute, it was the other way around. You guys know how special English fans are, and today showed the outside world that it is not only the players who make this league special.”
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Arne Slot couldn't have articulated the general sentiment around the tributes to Jota this weekend any better, which is a testament to the Liverpool manager, given that he was speaking in his second language. The respects paid to Jota this weekend felt more like a celebration of the player's life and career, which is what his family will now appreciate after a period of mourning.