Bradford Are Unlikely Tip of Make-or-Break Week for Chelsea and Jose Mourinho

Chelsea's Cobham training ground has a sign at the entrance instructing fans to not congregate there.

"Players will not sign autographs," it reads.

After Jose Mourinho's performance at his weekly press briefing on Friday, perhaps the club should invest in more signage: "Leave your worries at the door."

It's what the Chelsea boss seems to have done this season.

If he was feeling the pressure ahead of the biggest week in Chelsea's season to date, Mourinho wasn't showing it.

Chelsea face Bradford City in the FA Cup this weekend, followed by the return leg of their Capital One Cup semi-final with Liverpool in midweek before Manchester City visit west London on Jan. 31.

It's eight days to shape a season.

Michael Regan/Getty Images

"We have two knock-out matches in three days, so we can be in four competitions or only two [by Wednesday]," Mourinho said, trying his best to appear non-plussed by all the fuss surrounding his side.

"We want to try to be in all four competitions [...] The third match [against Manchester City] is just a Premier League match, one of 38. It doesn't dictate anything."

Only it does.

Victories in all three of their matches this week and Chelsea's season will be jettisoned into the stratosphere.

Talk of a quadruple will seem very real and victory over City will be the icing on a considerably sized cake.

Mourinho was eager not to appear complacent ahead of Bradford's visit—explaining he will play a team complete of senior players in anticipation of a difficult cup tie—but in reality Chelsea have bigger fish to fry.

Facing Bradford is the teaser, Liverpool and City sharing equal billing for the main event.

Clint Hughes/Associated Press

We're not quite there yet, but this is when the business end of the campaign edges closer on the horizon.

Chelsea have built their foundation, and from here on out, every game has something riding on it.

Mourinho knows that. It's why he played it so well at Anfield in midweek.

We didn't see the Chelsea team we know, a team desperate to get a victory against Liverpool. It was more about playing the occasion and seeing the semi-final for what it is—a match-up that will be decided over two legs, not one.

Whereas Liverpool were gung-ho in their desire to win, Chelsea were more calculated.

The method was there—it was cause and effect—and coming away with a 1-1 draw puts them in the driving seat to reach Wembley on March 1.

And just as that tie has set up the return game, this week will set up their season.

Dropping points in their last two outings against Everton and Arsenal, City need victory against Chelsea to reel them back in.

Richard Heathcote/Getty Images

The Blues are now five points clear at the top of the table after just alphabetical order separated them and City at the top on New Year's Day.

If Chelsea can defeat their title rivals, their lead will stretch to eight points—a gap that looks unassailable even to City.

Psychologically, Manuel Pellegrini's men will be sapped. The Chelsea express train? Oh, that'll be rolling on. Next stop Premier League glory.

Mourinho also spoke about momentum on Friday, that momentum worked from game to game. Now is when it counts most, when the feeling of destiny becomes almost palpable.

Marching into the next round of the FA Cup, reaching the season's first major final and extending their lead at the top, it's where Chelsea will find themselves in eight days if it all goes to plan.

Game to game. Momentum.

Of course, the reverse may well happen. It could come tumbling down upon them. Will it?

In just over a week, we'll find out.

Sit back. Enjoy.

Garry Hayes is Bleacher Report's lead Chelsea correspondent. All quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Follow him on Twitter @garryhayes