Amadou Onana penalty miss hurts - but the Everton midfielder is facing bigger concerns

Life comes at you fast in football - and Amadou Onana learned that the hard way on Tuesday night.

Just days after he put Everton on their way to a fourth straight victory against Burnley, his penalty miss ultimately cost his side a place in the last four of the Carabao Cup.

As far as misses go, it was one of the worst. Just what he was attempting to do, only he knows.

But the sense of deflation for Everton was all too familiar. This was another missed opportunity.

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It was the fourth time in the last six seasons Everton had exited the competition on penalties and brought to an end a four-match winning run as their hopes of a first semi-final appearance in seven years were dashed.

But this wasn’t just a missed opportunity for Everton; it was also a missed opportunity for Onana.

There have been glimpses of the Belgian international coming to the fore in recent months. At times, he looks every bit like the player many expect him to be.

And there is a reason why Arsenal, Barcelona and Manchester United continue to be linked with him. They see the potential so many others do.

"He's a really exciting footballer,” former Blues boss Roberto Martinez once said about the midfielder. “I know sometimes when we speak about players, it's very difficult to measure potential.

"We're talking about a 20-year-old boy that is probably one of the most talented young players at that age in European football.

"Sometimes he reminds you of a young Patrick Vieira in the way he drives with the ball."

But Onana still remains a top player in waiting. Too often he can frustrate and