Preston v Liverpool stay: Reaction as Reds earn simple win in first match since dying of Diogo Jota
Liverpool beat Preston North End 2-1 in an emotional friendly at Deepdale in the Reds’ first match since the death of Diogo Jota.
An emotional rendition of ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ was followed by a moment of silence before kick-off, with players from both sides wearing black armbands in memory of the Portugal forward and his brother Andre Silva.
A much-changed Liverpool side settled quickly without creating many opportunities, with Rio Ngumoha impressing before Federico Chiesa saw a cross deflected to Conor Bradley, who opened the scoring.
The tempo of the game remained low during a warm day in Lancashire, with Arne Slot making 11 changes at half-time, but Liverpool were virtually given a goal when Darwin Nunez latched onto a backwards pass before rounding the ‘keeper.
And Nunez was then at the centre of the third, producing a lovely dummy to allow Gakpo to roll in the net late on, wrapping up the game for the visitors despite a late consolation from Liam Lindsay.
Follow all the latest reaction from Deepdale below:
FULL-TIME! Preston 1-3 Liverpool
90 +2 mins
The Liverpool fans produce several renditions of Diogo Jota chants before the referee blows the final whistle.
GOAL! Preston 1-3 Liverpool
GOAL! Gakpo seals it!
It’s a nice goal too, as Doak presses high to win it near the box before cutting it back. It comes to Nunez but he lets it run through his legs to Gakpo, and the Dutchman slides in a composed finish.
Preston 1-2 Liverpool
Some encouragement for Preston fans as they win another corner…and this one is headed just wide by Kamara.
GOAL! Preston 1-2 Liverpool
GOAL! Lindsay gets on the scoresheet!
Simple for the Preston man as he wrestles free of Doak before powering in a header from the corner.
Preston 0-2 Liverpool
Superb play from Jebbison, who skips past Jones before beating Robertson and firing in a shot that Woodman dives to save.
It almost goes in too, going high into the air and hitting the crossbar on the way out!
Preston 0-2 Liverpool
Liverpool want a penalty as Ben Doak is brought down in the box. He’s unlucky not to get one too, as the defender had his arm around his neck and was pulling his shirt!
Preston 0-2 Liverpool
Not a lot of tempo to the game at the moment, though it’s the visitors dominating possession at Deepdale.
Preston defend well to stop a flurry of Liverpool shots, with Endo and Koumas having efforts blocked before Jones rifles into a sea of bodies and the flag goes up.
