Manchester City are playing catch up in the Premier League this season, sitting three points behind league leaders Arsenal after seven matches.
Pep Guardiola's side have already chalked up two defeats but have won three and drawn one of their last four, as the squad gets to grips with a slightly different way of playing.
This weekend, the blue half of Manchester welcomes Everton to the Etihad Stadium, following the Toffees' vanquishing of Crystal Palace, who were the last unbeaten team in the Premier League this term.
Manchester City forward slammed after performance in unfamiliar role
Midway through the international break, Man City forward Erling Haaland returned to England after participating and scoring in Norway's 5-0 FIFA World Cup qualifying win over Israel.
Haaland's premature international camp exit was not due to injury, much to the delight of Fantasy Premier League players, but for another reason, cited by the Norwegian Football Federation (NFF) in an official statement.
"Players with particularly tight match schedules are returning home: Alexander Sorloth, Julian Ryerson, Erling Braut Haaland and Fredrik Bjorkan. Felix Horn Myhre is leaving the squad due to a sore ankle," it read.
This left Norway with a depleted squad to face New Zealand in a friendly on Tuesday evening.
Manchester City's representation in the Norway camp did not cease with Haaland's departure, though.
Young attacker Oscar Bobb played the entire 90 minutes against the Kiwis but his display did not please Norway boss Solbakken.
"If you ask Oscar [Bobb], I think he’ll say the first half was his weakest performance for the national team. The second half was the next weakest.
"He was very bad in the first half. He lacked everything today, [he] spent a long time with the ball, positioned himself strangely and didn't hit the pressing game," Solbakken reportedly told VG.
"I’m not wasting any energy on that [Bobb's performance]. He has performed very, very well in almost every game, further up the pitch and further out. It’s not a concern," he added.
Bobb is a €25 million-rated winger, according to Transfermarkt, and has amassed 14 caps.
The 22-year-old featured in the 1-1 draw with New Zealand from the relatively unfamiliar position of central midfield, which contextualises Solbakken's quotes to an extent.
Bobb is usually a right-winger for the national team and typically features in the same role for Man City, cutting in onto his favoured left foot.
Norway are unbeaten in over a year and recently defeated Moldova 11-1, a game in which Bobb came off the bench to register an assist.
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