The first quarter of Liverpool FC's 2020/21 Premier League season was about as dramatic and incident-packed as any in living memory, especially when played against the backdrop of a global pandemic, with the campaign condensed into a much shorter period of time. Injuries, goals, penalties, controversies and shock results piled high across the division, as Liverpool sought to defend their title against the odds in the face of losing key players to severe injuries, inexplicable VAR interference and a schedule that pitted them against several key rivals and in-form teams.This is the story - and analysis - of the first quarter, as told by the august (and in some cases, bald) writers of The Tomkins Times. This inaugural issue of The Quarterly gathers together a batch of the best pieces written as the season unfolded, as well as several new chapters written specifically for inclusion in this book. As ever with The Tomkins Times, it is a mixture of match-going experiences, Liverpool history, empirical evidence and modern statistical analysis.Warning: may contain Jordan Pickford. Safety precautions are advised.