A dozen of Diogo Jota's greatest moments for Liverpool

The Portuguese forward arrived at the club in the summer of 2020 from Wolverhampton Wanderers, commencing a Reds career full of goals, highlights and trophies.

Paying tribute to a person and footballer that will be forever missed after his tragic passing aged 28 last week, here we reflect on some of his finest moments during his time on Merseyside.

Off and running

By joining Liverpool in the first place, you have to admire the confidence and courage of a 23-year-old Jota.

Standing in his way for opportunities in the front line was none other than the world-renowned trio of Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah, spearheads of the Reds’ successes in the Champions League and Premier League in the previous two seasons.

On the day of the transfer, Jürgen Klopp was asked why he had moved to acquire a player that had found his feet in the Premier League after helping Wolves achieve promotion from the second tier.

“Oh my god, plenty of reasons!” came the reply from the then-manager.

One of those reasons was the natural finishing ability Jota had repeatedly put on show for Wolves, and Pacos de Ferreira and FC Porto before then. And that trait was displayed for Liverpool pretty much instantly.

Having debuted as a substitute in a Carabao Cup tie at Lincoln City, Jota again came off the bench four days later against Arsenal in the Premier League. The No.20 was on the mark nine minutes after his introduction with a controlled volley to seal a 3-1 win.

He would produce many, many more clinchers.

Atalanta hat-trick

There was a run beginning in late October of his debut Liverpool season where Jota was averaging a goal every 1.8 days.

Included in that was his standout performance from 2020-21 – a hat-trick away at Atalanta in the Champions League that exhibited all the things that made him brilliant.

He began by latching on to a ball in behind, brushing off a defender’s challenge and then effortlessly dinking the ball over the goalkeeper.

The second was a thrash from close range after bringing down Joe Gomez’s delivery, and the third saw him round the ’keeper to tap in having been sent through.

Jota, with some extra luggage to take back to Merseyside, was asked whether he was playing the best football of his career. “Well, I’m playing in the best team in my career so far, that’s for sure,” he replied.

His favourite Liverpool goal

Arsenal were routinely on the receiving end of Jota’s potency. Indeed, he scored seven times against the Gunners for the Reds – at least two more than any other opponent.

Jota’s own pick of the 65 goals he produced at Liverpool came in November 2021, at Anfield and versus his favourite foe.

Receiving the ball on the edge of the Kop-end box, the attacker did the rest nonchalantly. Ben White’s sliding challenge was evaded and a feint sent Aaron Ramsdale to the deck, allowing a simple finish into the unguarded net.

When asked for his favourite LFC goal, Jota chose this one and understatedly said: “I think it was a good goal and everyone in the stadium enjoyed it.”

Delivers in the derby

Another example of Jota’s excellence in front of goal was his turn and finish at Everton in December 2021.

It added the bow to a 4-1 win for Liverpool in the Merseyside derby, an early Christmas present to the red half of the city.

Darting into the box to meet Andy Robertson’s pass, Jota flicked the ball through his own legs to spin his marker and then fired into the roof of the net from a tight angle.

“Sometimes you just try things and they happen,” he said afterwards.

Another vital cameo

The 2021-22 Carabao Cup was Jota’s first trophy as a Liverpool player, and it would not have been possible without his role in the remarkable quarter-final comeback against Leicester City.

The Reds were 3-1 down at the end of the first half and Klopp opted for a triple change at the break, with Jota one of those introduced.

He proceeded to reduce his team’s deficit to one in minute 68 and set the tone by immediately retrieving the ball from the net.

Takumi Minamino’s stoppage-time leveller sent the tie to a penalty shootout, in which the Reds’ sixth and decisive spot-kick was emphatically dispatched by Jota, whose celebration showed just what the club meant to him.

Arsenal were waiting in the last four…

A double to fire the Reds to Wembley

Emirates Stadium on a Thursday night in early 2022 can be considered the place where that Jota chant really took hold.

The lad from Portugal’s goals in either half were the difference in the two-legged semi-final and booked Liverpool’s place at Wembley.

The travelling Kop – more than 5,000 in harmony – attempted to repay Jota’s brilliance with renditions of his newly created song over and over again. How the line ‘He will take us to victory’ rang true.

Once speaking to supporter podcast The Anfield Wrap, Jota recalled: “We had a talk in the physio room after the game with Chris [Morgan], he always pays attention. He was like, ‘Did you hear?’ I was like, ‘Yes, but I’m not sure what they are saying!’

“But I think in that game it really kicked off and it was just a proud moment for me. Because obviously [they are] big supporters and to have your name in a chant, it’s massive and it’s a reason to be proud.”

Double cup joy

The Reds went on to lift the League Cup a month later by defeating Chelsea on penalties, with Jota converting his kick in the Wembley shootout.

They would ultimately be able to celebrate a domestic cup double by winning the FA Cup too, returning to the national stadium to meet the Blues again in the May.

Jota was on target twice during Liverpool’s journey in the competition, an Anfield effort against Cardiff City preceding an important winner in the quarter-finals at Nottingham Forest.

Beginning the showpiece on the bench, he was called upon to replace an injured Salah in the first half and saw out the remainder of another goalless but enthralling clash.

His reliability under pressure was evident yet again when he stepped up in the shootout for a penalty that had to be scored and did so, helping his side claim more silverware.

Stunning Spurs at Anfield

More than two years on, it’s still hard to comprehend how he was so calm.

April 2023 at Anfield, where Liverpool have surrendered a 3-0 lead – which they raced into within the first 15 minutes – against Tottenham Hotspur and in stoppage time now find themselves conceding an equaliser and drawing 3-3.

Everyone of a Red persuasion is deflated, the earlier elation turned to distinct disappointment.

But Jota hasn’t given it up and when a loose opposition touch from the restart presents him with a chance inside the box, the muscle memory kicks straight in.

He creates a shooting angle to the left of the target, arrows a low finish inside the far post and lifts every home supporter back off their seat.

Sublime.

A special moment of solidarity

In the autumn of 2023, Liverpool’s players and staff were rallying around Luis Diaz as his family dealt with a serious situation involving his father in Colombia.

As the news of a kidnapping initially emerged, on Merseyside the Reds hosted Forest at Anfield and Jota’s opening goal set them on their way to a 3-0 victory.

His act of solidarity after scoring, however, was the most powerful aspect of the afternoon.

Having netted during the first half, Jota immediately rushed to the touchline and held aloft a jersey bearing Diaz’s name and number – a moving show of support and a mark of the man.

50 goals for Liverpool

Jota brought up a half-century of Liverpool strikes in unusual circumstances at Christmas in 2023.

The forward was nearing the end of a recovery from an injury and not expecting to be involved when Klopp’s men travelled to Burnley for a Boxing Day fixture at Turf Moor.

But a late call-up to the squad saw Jota rush to make himself available, and duly wrap up three points for the visitors in the last minute of a 2-0 win.

“It was a crazy 24 hours, I was already at home when I found out I needed to travel back to join the team,” he explained of the festive change of plans. “I had some special people in the crowd, my family came over for Christmas. I think it was the best Christmas gift for everyone.”

Deciding the derby

In many ways, this was the defining Jota goal.

As the hour mark approached in April’s Merseyside derby at Anfield, stalemate reigned and Liverpool needed a moment of inspiration in their ongoing push to seal the Premier League title.

It seemed improbable that any magic would materialise as a result of Diaz flicking the ball to Jota near the edge of a crowded Everton penalty area.

But seconds later, the No.20 was wheeling away in celebration with the Kop, a combination of deft shoulder drops, slick footwork and a fine finish carving Everton open and culminating in the winner.

That the strike would prove to be the last of Jota’s career will only crystallise its specialness.

A Premier League champion

Arne Slot’s side were of course confirmed as the 2024-25 English champions soon after.

In an interview filmed subsequently with Jota, he admitted such an achievement was beyond the dreams he held as a child aspiring to make it as a footballer.

Simply playing at the top level would have fulfilled the boy from Gondomar’s wishes. “It’s something I could not even dream when I was a kid,” he said.

“I wanted to play in the Premier League but I didn’t even imagine to win it, I just wanted to be there playing. I knew it was the best league in the world.

“I achieved the moment, I fulfilled my dream when I played for Wolverhampton, because I was there. But then when you achieve a dream you unlock another phase, another level, another step and when I came to Liverpool I knew that was possible.

“I did it in the end.”

And he did so much more than play, providing nine goal contributions in 26 Premier League appearances last season and being involved in multiple vital moments.

A poacher’s finish to take three points at Crystal Palace, an unerring equaliser against Fulham for 10-man Liverpool, another leveller 22 seconds after being introduced from the bench away at Forest, and that derby decider.

The joy on Jota’s face was so pure as he toasted the triumph with supporters at Anfield, singing along to his own fan song with the Kop.

‘Forever a champion,’ declared Virgil van Dijk in a personal tribute that followed Jota’s passing. There is no finer way to put it.