Preston v Liverpool live: Reaction as Reds earn straightforward win in first match since death of Diogo Jota

For seven minutes after the final whistle, Liverpool players and staff stood in front of their supporters at Preston as they chanted Diogo Jota’s name.

Sunday’s pre-season friendly at Deepdale was originally envisaged as a day to kick-start preparations for Liverpool’s Premier League title defence, but it played out as a memorial service for Jota and his brother Andre Silva, 10 days after they died in a car accident in Spain.

On the pitch Liverpool eased to a 3-1 win through goals from Conor Bradley, Darwin Nunez and Cody Gakpo but thoughts of Jota and Silva remained at the forefront throughout the day.

All kick-off times BST

26 July: AC Milan - Kai Tak Sports Park, Hong Kong, kick-off 7.30pm

30 July: Yokohama FM - Nissan Stadium, Yokohama, kick-off 11.30am

4 August: Athletic Bilbao (two games) - Anfield, Liverpool, kick-off 5pm and 8pm

Liverpool and Portugal footballer Diogo Jota had married his childhood sweetheart, Rute Cardoso, just 11 days before the car crash in Spain that killed him and his brother, Andre Silva.

The couple had been together since 2013, and had three children together – two sons and a daughter, all three of whom were born during the Portuguese’s time in Merseyside.

Jota and Cardoso were married in Porto on 22 June in a ceremony attended by friends and family, including Jota’s Liverpool teammate Andy Robertson, who led the touching tributes to the 28-year-old.

Sometimes the worst of times can bring the best out of people. Liverpool have more proof than most. Their history was tinged by tragedy even before a car crash claimed the life of Diogo Jota on Thursday morning. Grief can be a particularly private emotion; and yet a life lived in public can sometimes compel people to respond to the wider world, whether or not they really want to.

As the flowers outside Anfield show, Jota meant a lot to many who never met him. Those who did were probably in a sense of “absolute shock”, as Arne Slot put it. Processing the sudden loss of a friend, teammate and, as many were swift to say, a man whose primary roles were as husband, father and son in the age of social media can feel even harder; the hours of radio silence were immediately understandable but gave way to a series of moving messages.

Kenny Dalglish, sadly practiced in such situations, said: "Football is not important at this sad time. You feel helpless, knowing there’s so little we can do to ease the pain for his wife of just two weeks, his three beautiful children.” Jurgen Klopp reflected the wider sense of powerlessness. “There must be a bigger purpose, but I can’t see it,” said the manager who brought Jota to Anfield.

The caption is more poignant now, even as the words have proved horribly wrong. “Yes to forever,” wrote Diogo Jota, accompanying social-media pictures of his wedding to his long-time partner Rute Cardoso. Within two weeks, Jota’s forever had ended, the Liverpool and Portugal forward killed in a car crash in Spain, along with his brother Andre Silva. His new wife is already a widow, his three young children left without a father.

“It doesn’t make any sense,” said Cristiano Ronaldo, his Portugal captain. There is a feeling of shock whenever a life is suddenly cruelly cut short, and Jota was just 28. It is still greater when someone has seemed as full of life as Jota did. He was often a smiling figure; “someone with an infectious joy,” Pedro Proenca, head of the Portuguese Football Federation, said. He was popular wherever he went. “Diogo was adored by our fans, loved by his teammates and cherished by everyone who worked with him during his time at Wolves,” his previous club said. Wolves described themselves as “heartbroken”, Liverpool as “devastated”

Liverpool will return to action in pre-season with the club still digesting the news of Diogo Jota’s death.

The Portugal international passed away following a car accident in Spain early in July, with Arne Slot delaying his squad’s return to training following the sad incident.

Once preparations for the new season have begun, Slot’s side will start to think about the defence of their Premier League title having achieved domestic success in their first season under the Dutchman.

Liverpool’s pre-season fixtures are below:

Liverpool will permanently retire Diogo Jota’s No 20 shirt in memory of the forward after he was killed in a car crash with his brother Andre Silva last week.

In a historic move, Liverpool confirmed plans to immortalise Jota’s contribution to the team by retiring the No 20 jersey from all levels in what the club said was “a unique tribute to a uniquely wonderful person”.

“It was the number he wore with pride and distinction, leading us to countless victories in the process – and Diogo Jota will forever be Liverpool’s number 20,” a club statement said.

Liverpool boss Arne Slot spoke to Liverpool TV before this game, in his first interview since Diogo Jota's passing.

He has told his players to "be yourself" and "don't think you have to be different than your emotions tell you".

"If we want to laugh, we laugh; if we want to cry, we're going to cry," said Slot.

"If they want to train they can train, if they don't want to train they can not train.

"We will always carry him with us in our hearts, in our thoughts, wherever we go."

“It's very difficult to find the right words because we constantly debate what is appropriate. What is appropriate in our actions? What is appropriate [for] what we have to say? Can we train again? Can we laugh again? Can we be angry if there's a wrong decision?

"And I've said to them, maybe the best thing for us to do is handle this situation like Jota was. And what I meant with that is that Jota was always himself, it didn't matter if he was talking to me, to his team-mates, to the staff, he was always himself. So let us try to be ourselves as well."

Liverpool’s players went over to the fans at full-time, with the supporters giving a few renditions of various chants made for Diogo Jota.