Reds skipper Van Dijk said before this clash that his Liverpool team-mates are still finding it hard to come to terms with the fact that Jota is no longer around the club.
He admitted: "The loss of Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva in July was something none of us could ever have prepared for, and something all of us are still coming to terms with. Our thoughts, as ever, remain with Diogo and Andre's family. They will never, ever be forgotten, and we will carry their memory always."
In his programme notes before Liverpool's last home game of 2025, head coach Arne Slot hoped that the way Jota has been lionized can bring his family some "solace".
He wrote: "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."