Liverpool will face Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon and it will be the first time the two clubs have met since the tragic death of Diogo Jota
12:29, 26 Dec 2025
Diogo Jota
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Jota passed away in July
Arne Slot, Liverpool manager, has voiced his hope that the outpouring of support from the entire Liverpool community will provide comfort to Diogo Jota's family during what is set to be an emotional afternoon at Anfield this Saturday.
Liverpool are due to face Wolverhampton Wanderers, another of Jota's former Premier League clubs, in the first match since the tragic car accident that claimed the lives of the much-loved Portuguese striker and his brother, Andre Silva, in early July. Jota was travelling through northern Spain, en route to Merseyside for pre-season training, when his car suffered a tyre blowout in the early hours of Thursday, July 3.
His widow, Rute, will be attending the match, with their sons, Dinis and Duarte, serving as mascots for the day.
Diogo Jota in action for Liverpool
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Diogo Jota in action for Liverpool(Image: Getty Images)
Jota's journey in English football began with Wolves, who were then in the Championship, in 2017. He played a key role in their promotion to the top tier and was part of one of the most successful Wolves teams in recent history.
The 28 year old then transferred to Liverpool in September 2020 and went on to win the Premier League title, FA Cup and two League Cups during his five-year tenure at Anfield.
In his pre-match programme notes ahead of the game against bottom-of-the-table Wolves, Slot dedicates a portion of his piece to the No. 20, according to the Liverpool Echo.
"That ability to be united has been one of our most important qualities throughout a year which has brought us some of our highest highs and our lowest lows," Slot writes. "Reflecting on everything that has happened over the last 12 months ignites a rollercoaster of emotions but it is normal at this time of year to look back to everything that has happened.
"Doing so leads me to think especially of the family of Diogo Jota on what will be their first Christmas without him. It is not my place to tell them where they should look for comfort – if that is even possible – but I can only hope that the feeling of love and affection that Diogo still generates brings them some solace.
"The sense of loss will be particularly strong on Saturday, of course, as it will be the first time that Diogo's two English teams will meet since his tragic passing.
WOLVERHAMPTON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 15: Diogo Jota of Wolverhampton Wanderers celebrates after scoring a goal to make it 4-0 during the UEFA Europa League Third Qualifying Round Second Leg between Wolverhampton Wanderers and FC Pyunik at Molineux on August 15, 2019 in Wolverhampton, England. (Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images)
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Jota also played for Wolves(Image: Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA, Getty Images)
"Like us, Wolves were clearly very affected by the loss of such a special player and person so my thoughts continue to be with them also."
The Liverpool boss continues: "I would like to welcome Rob Edwards, his players and staff as well as the supporters and directors of Wolves to Anfield for the game.
"They arrive fighting for their future but regardless of their current position in the Premier League table we will expect the kind of test that we faced against them twice last season when we managed to come out on top in two very difficult games.
"This is just the way the Premier League is, which makes it so, so important to be on the right side of the small margins. Lately, we have been able to do that more often than had been the case in previous weeks so we need this to continue.
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"Ideally, we will also start to put ourselves in a position in which we can even give ourselves a bit more comfort but as I said earlier in these notes, there is a lot of work to do if we want to reach this stage".
The striker was instrumental in helping Slot's side secure the Premier League crown last season. Following his death, Liverpool paid a heartfelt tribute to Jota by retiring his No.20 jersey.